The aroma of hot dogs filled the air in the Homer Public Library’s meeting room the afternoon of Friday, July 11 as patrons filtered in and out of the room toting pies and red-and-white checkered tablecloths.
The monthly recipe exchange, a staple at the Homer Public Library, was in full swing, with about a dozen people attending to try the month’s themed lunch: picnic foods.
Amie Hatfield, director of the Homer Public Library, started the recipe exchange in 2014 to get more people into the library. Little did she know it would go beyond that.
“Since starting the recipe exchange there is more of a connection to the community,” Hatfield said. “Folks have seen the events on the sign in front of the library, called for more information and end up attending the event.”
The exchange is typically held the first Friday of every month, and has featured recipe themes like cookies, salads, chili and camp foods. The July exchange was pushed back one week to accommodate the Fourth of July holiday.
Folks attend the exchange to show off their creative recipes, socialize and try other people’s tasty treats. Most people bring the recipe – often handwritten on worn, stained paper – though it is not required.
“The people here are so kind and so lovely, you can just tell it’s a rural community that really cares,” said Darlene Wolfinger, who has regularly attended the recipe exchange for the past four years.
When Wolfinger first heard of the exchange, she convinced her friend Stephanie Davis to accompany her.
“Darlene called me and said, ‘They have a recipe group that meets the first Friday of every month. Do you want to go?’ I said, ‘I sure do.’”
Wolfinger brought a cherry and blueberry slab pie in the shape of an American flag. It seemed to be the hit recipe this month. Davis described her as “the creative one.”
Wolfinger spends three or four days in advance thinking of an impressive recipe. “The challenge of it is what I enjoy the most,” Wolfinger said.
Most of the attendees know each other well. Even so, new people still attend the exchange.
Hatfield believes the recipe exchange connects people within the community because, “they have an event to look forward to each and every month. Also, this is a reason to take a break, relax with a nice meal and visit with old friends, and perhaps make new friends.”
Jim Lee, Hatfield’s neighbor, attended for the first time this month.
Lee has been taking the ukulele lessons at the library with Tom Kimble, another recipe exchange attendee. Kimble teaches ukulele lessons at the Homer Public Library as well as the Licking County Library in Newark. He lives in Granville but loves the Homer Public Library.
“It’s like a little oasis in the middle of redneck America,” he said.
As the festivities wound down, Kimble dug out a ukulele from the library supply.
He began to play, though not for anyone in particular.
He harmonized with the talk of the room and as folks meandered their way out, Hatfield announced, “next month’s theme is tomato!”
Katie Nader writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.