Kidron prepares to roll, Berlin out of MCC meat canning schedule

For decades Berlin has been a hotbed of activity every year the Mennonite Central Committee meat canning crew came through town at the end of January. Last year the pandemic wiped away the event, and this year the local Holmes-Tuscarawas meat canning days are being canceled because MCC can’t find enough volunteers to fulfil the entire slate of stops normally making up the meat canning tour.

Holmes-Tuscarawas MCC meat canning board member Dwight Shoup said he was disappointed but understanding when he received word the tour would not come to Berlin this year.

“With only three guys running the crew this year instead of four, they just didn’t have the capacity to make a full schedule,” Shoup said. “We’re sad that we weren’t included on the tour, but we understand. There are only so many stops they can make with a limited crew working on limited hours, so they don’t run them into the ground.”

This marks the second-straight year for the Holmes-Tuscarawas organization to find its doors locked and the normally beehive-like activity in the canning building located on the west side of Berlin silent.

Throughout the years many area churches and organizations have given their time and energy into volunteering at meat canning days. Shoup said many church groups looked forward to performing the many tasks involved with the canning effort. While their building may be silent this year, Shoup said they need to continue to find ways to give to the MCC meat canning project that sends life-sustaining canned meat all over the world to areas in need.

“While we aren’t having our canning days, it is still important for people to give to the project in some manner,” Shoup said. “Whether it is donating time in working at Kidron’s meat canning or in giving financially to MCC, we need to stay involved with making this incredible event a success.”

For those who would like to give financially in lieu of volunteering, they may do so by visiting its website at www.mcc.org and clicking the orange Donate button near the top of the home page.

Another option is to volunteer to serve at the Kidron site located in the Gerber building behind Central Christian High School.

Kidron’s director and board member Trent Metcalf said it will be business as usual in most ways for the Kidron stop, although extra precautions are being taken for health reasons. He said the only big change is the event will move from its usual time in the fall to Jan. 24-26 from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“Last year was a major challenge, but we made it through unscathed,” Metcalf said. “We are still looking for volunteers, and we welcome any of our friends from the Berlin site to join us and help can during the event, and we welcome anyone from this area who would like to be a part of something special.”

Metcalf said the Kidron site switched to cutting and canning chicken instead of turkey three years ago, and it has worked well. He said unlike the Berlin site, Kidron grinds its meat instead of cutting it, but while that may be different, the volunteer work remains very similar.

He said they normally schedule groups of 12 or 13 people to work during specific blocks of time throughout each of the three days. He said many Amish church groups call and dedicate blocks of hours, which is a big help. He said Mast Trucking has been an asset in volunteering its trucks to transport product over the years.

He said last year the site operated outside of the canner. He said it can be loud, hot and steamy inside the canner, and doing everything outside and then taking the cans into the canner makes for much quieter and easier work. He said the Gerber building is well lit, warm and pleasant, and because they moved to grinding the meat, the process moves much quicker and allows them to weigh and pack meat at a little slower pace.

“We are thrilled to continue to be a part of the process. It is very rewarding, and we invite anyone with a heart to serve to come join us for a few hours,” Metcalf said.

While finding volunteers is one major task, another has been the price of meat, which has been quite expensive until as of late.

“One big factor has been the price of chicken and turkey,” Joe Miller of MCC said. “It’s been very high, and when you’re looking at the amount of bulk meat being purchased at the sites, the cost can be astronomical. Fortunately, the cost has dropped significantly recently, so that will certainly help our cause.”

In addition to sending meat overseas to poor villages and nations, Metcalf said MCC allows them to keep 5% of the meat for local use. He said in past years it has gone to an outreach in Kentucky; the Orrville Mennonite Church, which does a weekly dinner; and about half of it to area Amish families blindsided by major catastrophes.

“It’s a blessing to be able to help people locally as well as around the world,” Metcalf said.

Anyone wishing to volunteer can text Metcalf at 330-465-4191. The Gerber building is located at 3970 Kidron Road in Kidron.