Farm Life Ruritans celebrate 75 years

There’s no reason to ask, “Honey, what’s for dinner tonight” next Tuesday, May 21.

Martin County residents will almost certainly be eating at the Farm Life Ruritan Pig Picking 75th Anniversary celebration. The event is being hosted by the club and the food is “on the house,” as they say.

Farm Life Ruritan Club President Wyatt Coltrain is enthused about the milestone celebration.

“We are celebrating our 75th Anniversary with a North Carolina pig picking on May 21 and are expecting a large crowd to help us celebrate,” said Coltrain. “The event is a big celebration. The meal is going to be pork, potatoes, coleslaw and cake for dessert.”

While the Ruritans are watching over the pig, the Ruritanettes will be the backbone of the event preparing the coleslaw, potatoes and the desserts. The Ruritanettes are famous for cooking and writing about it.

Screamin’ Bridge Bluegrass will be entertaining the crowd throughout the evening. The four- piece Bluegrass band is made up of Farm Life and Bear Grass musicians.

The Farm Life Ruritan Club was founded in 1949. The club was originally sponsored by the Bear Grass Ruritans, since they began the neighboring club in 1948.

“The Bear Grass Ruritans help out a lot. They work closely with Chicken Mull so they are used to crowds,” noted Coltrain.

Currently the club has about 20 members and is looking to increase membership.

“We are trying to get younger members interested, but we are competing with social media these days,” explained Coltrain.

Ruritans are dedicated to creating a better understanding among people, and through volunteer community service, making America’s communities a better place to live and work. Ruritan members across the country represent a cross-section of the communities they serve with over 29,000 members throughout the United States

“Ruritan clubs are based on the ideal of service as the basis of all worthy enterprise,” said Coltrain.

The Ruritanettes are the female extension of the Ruritans. As many Farm Life residents know, the Ruritanette Cookbook is on many Martin County kitchen counters.

Those who enjoy the recipes in the book and enjoy the food at Georgie Dean’s — where the cookbook is regularly used — may want to stop by the Farm Life Ruritan club event next Tuesday Night at 6 p.m.

The event is being held at the Family Life Center of the Maple Grove Christian Church at 1500 Maple Grove Church Road off N.C. 171 in Jamesville. For more information call 252-327-9230.