By: David Fikes, Executive Director, FMI Foundation, FMI
Some of my fondest and most vivid childhood memories spring from summertime family reunion gatherings that happened every few years in my dad’s clan. My father was one of eight kids, so these reunions were huge events, numerically and emotionally. They were the not-often-enough opportunities to see some of my out-of-state cousins. These infrequent get-togethers always included homemade ice cream where the younger kin lined up for ‘the honor’ of getting to turn the crank, a baseball game (affectionately referred to as “the Old Man’s game) where fathers played against their sons and a few daughters, and of course there was food. The standing order for these potluck assemblies was to bring a dish of two that could feed your family plus 8-10 others. The dads competed overtly on the makeshift diamond in my Uncle’s pasture; the moms competed covertly in the kitchen. Consequently, the food was fantastic, and it was at these potlucks I was first introduced to olives, cheese grits, and blueberry cobbler, none of which were in my mother’s repertoire, but were added later after much goading and no small amount of whining on my part. And of course, these reunions afforded the opportunity to rekindle old relationships, welcome new additions to the tribe, and just talk for the sheer joy of connecting. These potlucks were all about memories, sharing old ones and making new ones. There is a special place in my heart for potluck-style gatherings, so when I read about Potluck 250, an idea to celebrate America’s birthday with nationwide series of community potlucks, I was all in. The idea is a simple one. Seize the 250th birthday of our country as a reason to bring American communities across the nation together to share food and strengthen their connections.
- Make it a potluck gathering since food stimulates participation, a meal enhances civil conversations, and potluck means everyone shares responsibility for the menu and expense for the meal.
- Have them on July 5th so they don’t interfere or compete with traditional family July 4th observations.
- Keep it lowkey so no one is overburdened, left out, or severely inconvenienced.
Like all potlucks, these offer a chance to learn your neighbor is more interesting than you thought, to find out there are new dishes left for you to discover, and to remember that face to face conversations joyfully avoid tech issues, connectivity problems, and computer glitches.
A potluck has no size specifications, no menu requirements, or location restrictions, so invite as many or as few people as you want, let folks bring what they want, and eat inside, outside, at a table, tray on the lap, or cross-legged on the floor. You can write your own rules, but if you’re looking for some helpful resources then visit FMI’s America250 page or check out America250 Utah Commission website for hosting and food safety tips.
Enjoy celebrating the successes of our 250-year experiment in a democratic-republic while connecting with friends and treating your tastebuds to some new treats.
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