SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Sullivan Extension Homemakers food stand has become known as “The Foodstand” because of its popularity.
Shelley Nichols is the treasurer for the extension. She said they serve hundreds of customers each day.
“Each day we will serve between 400 and 500 people”, Nichols said. “Then, on chicken noodle day, we’ll serve between 600 and 700 people.”
The food has been a hit long before the current fairgrounds was open.
“We’ve had a food stand at the fair since we originated here in 1986, but we also had a food stand back at the other fairgrounds that was in the center of the town for many years before that”, Nichols said.
Volunteers cook a wide variety of food, all homemade.
“It started out with just four or five basic sandwiches years ago and we would always have volunteers bring in the desserts”, Nichols said. “When I started taking over a little but more of the cooking part of it, and my son does all the cooking in the back, we decided to just do completely homemade. We make the potato salad, the macaroni salad, the chicken salad, we make it all.”
All the money made goes to purchase food for the next year or goes back into the local community.
“We give scholarships every year, we donate books to the Head Start at risk kindergartens, and we also provide different things like a “Fright Night” for the FFA, all kinds of philanthropic projects”, Nichols said. “The money does not stay here, but we try to keep back just enough to start the food stand each year, then we spend all the rest on the kids.”
Despite the line being at the door at 11 a.m. sharp each day, Nichols said they love to do it.
“We’re here to serve the community”, Nichols said. “We’ve been here forever, and everybody knows about the food stand. If you talk about us, everybody knows that the food stand is where you want to go.”
The Sullivan County Fair and Extension Homemakers food stand will continue this week, through July 18th.
The food stand will serve their famous ham loaf on Tuesday and chicken and noodles on Thursday.
