However you slice it, there’s TLC baked into every delicious bite at the Dawson County 4-H cafe, especially the pie where everyone has a favorite.
“I’d have to say apple,” one young 4-Her responds, others point to the blueberry, triple berry, and cherry. There’s no shortage of flavors as the cafe serves up several flavors.
The cafe is also where the fair happens between the scheduled events as people pull up a metal folding chair with a Dawson County 4-H stencil on the back and strike up a conversation.
“Anybody who’s anybody comes down to the 4-H Cafe when it’s open again,” said Julie Loudon, ag teacher in Overton whose favorite pie is a tossup between cherry and pecan, preferring the southern pronunciation.
It’s an exclusive restaurant, open only a few days a year.
“People come to the fair just for the for a cafe. They may not make it to the carnival, but they do come for this and the 4-H exhibits,” said Barb Margritz.
It’s a place for kids like Owen Lassen to grab a bite between shows. “I have a market steer and market heifer.”
Kids aren’t just eating, they’re put to work. Her last name’s Unterseher but Vickie’s the overseer, for 30 years helping coordinate the volunteer army that are the head, hearts, hands, and health of the 4-H program.
“We have fantastic people around here. They all volunteer to come in. It’s all volunteer. And the businesses around here have been very generous, very, very generous,” Unterseher said. “Everything goes to the 4-H foundation. I donate 100% back to the foundation after expenses are paid.”
That supports kids like 15-year-old Jaden Hinman, behind the counter near the loaded potato bar.
“I’m serving chili, beef noodles, baked potatoes and hot dogs,” he said.
4-H dad Gordon Lassen can’t eat like this every day but this is fair week
“Yeah, I’ll I’ll do better next week,” he laughs. “This pie is phenomenal. When you can come through and get this many types of pie in one spot, that’s the best.”
In a county that ranks among the top one percent nationally for cattle, livestock shows build the next generation. In between trips from the barn to the wash racks, the café is more than a concession stand, it’s a necessity.
“We have families that eat in here three times a day all the way through. So yes, we try to keep our prices down for them. And make it cool in here,” Vickie said.
4-H mom Kris Walahoski says the food is good and the cause is even better.
“The prices can’t be beat. The food is homemade, and the proceeds go back to the kids, to the Dawson County 4-H Foundation,” she said.
By the end of the week, she tries not to think about the tab her family has rung up.
“It;s a little scary to face the tab on Sunday morning, but, Yeah, it’s a week’s worth of someone else doing the cooking. And so I enjoy that,” Walahoski said.
And cook they do, Julie Loudon taking a bigger role this year as she helped Vickie and the crew.
Loudon said, “It’s 100% homemade pies. A actually, this is my first year helping make the crust for the pies. We’re talking like 500 pounds of flour that go into the crust of the pies. All of the buns are homemade. The pretzels are homemade, the noodles are homemade. You won’t find a place like it.”
Agriculture is the heart of Dawson County and 4-H is its future. For one week every summer, the 4-H Cafe becomes its living room.
“Where else are you going to find homemade beef and noodles for lunch?” Loudon asks.
And if you think you can make it through the line without a slice of pie… it can happen.
“Possible, but unlikely,” one happy customer says, back for the second day in a row.
