Bean Soup Day at the Big Creek Grange

The Big Creek Grange sells bean soup as a fundraiser.  Preparation is a major two-day undertaking.  Approximately 350 quarts of bean soup are processed and sold.

My job is to cool the soup down after it is taken from the burners and before it is packaged.  Large tubs filled with ice are involved.  Every year this job seems to get harder; the average age of the Grange members is on the north side of 60.  The Big Creek Grange is the last Grange in Carbon County, and the number of farmers is in decline.

I noticed the conversations were on three main topics.  One was about deer hunting, deer population, venison preparation, and other deer-related subjects.  Another big topic was the recent storm, who lost electricity and for how long.  Most of the talk, however, was old people talk about operations, doctors, who was dying and who had died.  On the other hand, at least people weren’t talking about Trump.  That really would have been depressing.