A food truck at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair is the only place in Indiana that offers a doughy delicacy known as a beaver tail.
The treats are similar to elephant ears, a popular treat for fairgoers, but are made with more yeast for a fluffier, donut-like texture. The taste and the rarity are not the only reason to buy one, the treat also supports a good cause. The money raised at the fair goes to the Center Grove Optimist Club.
The club created beaver tails in 1982 and uses the money from the fair to give back to the community. The club is a service club that supports many causes including the Good Cheer Fund, which provides food for people in need during the holiday season, and Shop with a Cop, which gives Christmas gifts to underprivileged youth, said Don Good, a member of the club and a volunteer at the stand since 1984.
The Optimist Club typically raises about $16,000 during fair week, and the money also funds scholarships for Center Grove High School students and Eagle Scouts from local Boy Scouts in the Pathfinder district, which covers Johnson County and southern Marion County, Good said.
“It helps the community and we have a lot of customers who look forward to our beaver tails every year. This is the only place in the state you can have that,” he said. “Our goal is to promote optimism, and you get to see that with our young people; they give us a lot of optimism about the future.”
The fair is a fundraiser for many local groups, that take the opportunity to spread the word about their work while serving up something delicious. Money from the fundraisers stays in the community and helps Johnson County residents in a variety of ways.
Indian Creek schools’ FFA members are hoping their 50th year of selling homemade ice cream will help to continue the momentum of the school district’s agriculture program. Cattle Creek Company, run by Indian Creek FFA members, opened the district’s first farm in 2020 and added four acres of pasture to it earlier this year. The farm has allowed students to complete Supervised Agricultural Experiences without leaving campus. Money from ice cream sales will help fund continued agricultural studies, including participation in FFA contests and conferences, farm equipment and a food-to-table program at the schools, said Matt Killian, one of three Indian Creek FFA advisors.
FFA members serve the ice cream with a variety of free toppings, including chocolate syrup, caramel, butterscotch and strawberry syrup, he said.
“This year, we are celebrating our 50th year serving homemade ice cream at the same spot at the Johnson County fair. We’ve been using the same machine and the same recipe for the last 50 years,” Killian said. “I’m new to the community and I’ve very quickly learned that the community of Johnson County loves Indian Creek ice cream, so I think we’ll be here for another 50 years.”
The Gateway Services lemon shakeup stand is a tradition powered by volunteers from groups and businesses all over the county. On Tuesday afternoon, a team from Mutual Savings Bank made the popular fair beverage that mixes freshly squeezed lemons, granulated sugar and water. Proceeds from the shakeups are part of the funding for the $68,616 local match needed for Access Johnson County buses. The buses provide public transportation in Johnson County with additional federal funding from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, said Becky Allen, transportation director for Access Johnson County, a subsidiary of Gateway Services.
Gateway Services started its first lemon shake-up stand in 1972, but new flavors are keeping things fresh. In addition to the classic lemonade flavor and the recently added strawberry, there’s a new “Surprize Flavor.” Additional proceeds from the sales will help fund Gateway’s mission of assisting people with disabilities by offering employment programs, respite services and community outings, among other activities, she said.
“We have a day program that’s for people with mental and physical disabilities and they come for things like a music group and cooking classes,” Allen said. “They also go out into the community and volunteer, and we also provide employment for people with mental and physical disabilities.”
Another group fundraising is Franklin Lion’s Club. Members are selling hot roasted corn on the cob at the fair, as they’ve been doing for the past two decades, said Kathy Stolz, the club’s president.
The club has sold over $6,000 in corn each of the past two county fairs, and that money has helped fund food purchases for the Interchurch Food Pantry, scholarships for Franklin Community High School and Whiteland Community High School seniors, and contributions to the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program, said Tom Flack, former district governor for Indiana Lions Club.
“It’s the largest service organization in the world,” Stolz said of Lions Club International. “100% of our profit goes back into the community.”
