Lamb Feed

I went to the annual Lamb Feed this week at Visalia's PPAV Hall.

It's been a while since I attended this annual bash which has been a tradition for 36 years. The main dish, of course, is barbequed lamb chops accompanied by Portuguese beans, salad, rolls and butter.

The lamb chops come from the lambs raised by area 4-H and FFA members and sold at the livestock auction at the Tulare County Fair. The majority of the buyers then donate the lambs to the Lamb Feed. Those who donate get 20 tickets to hand out to family, friends and neighbors. The meal is free but the Portuguese Pentecostal Association of Visalia (not the Portuguese People At Visalia, as some believe) sells drinks. Lots of beer, wine and mixed drinks help loosen up those who stay for the dance which follows.

This year between 3,200 and 3,400 dinners were served. I tried to get an accurate count but someone moved when I was about a third of the way through my count, throwing everything off. I tried shouting for pholks to stay still for a few minutes but it didn't work.

I didn't stay for the dance because I knew there would be no way to get anywhere in counting then. But I heard that the local band Crossing Caldwell played a variety of western, rock, oldies and other assorted tunes and won rave reviews from Don Halstead, the head honcho of the Lamb Feed for the third straight year. “It was one of the best decisions I made,” he said Monday following the Saturday night party.

I didn't even consider trying to determine how much beer, wine or mixed drinks was served but lines were long at the several script booths around the grounds of the East Main Street PPAV complex. The hall is one of Visalia's most well known landmarks and has hosted hundreds and hundreds of thousands of receptions, square dance lessons, singles gatherings, memorial services and just about any kind of gathering over the years. It's a great party venue. It is not unusual for the lines to get into the PPAV grounds to stretch more than a block. But the line moves fast and often turns into a mini-party by itself. The Lamb Feed is an ideal place for lambs to go out in style and for a good cause.

On Monday, Halstead bailed me out with attendance estimates and some other facts.

He said 138 lambs were donated this year with the average auction price at $3.91 per pound, down about one dollar from last year. “It's all about helping the 4-H'ers and FFA members who raise their animals and sell them at the fair.” The average weight was around 125 pounds, he said.

Although it is basically a casual affair, the Lamb Feed brings out a wide variety of dress and demeanor. Unless you are part of a big group, there is no telling who you might be setting next to or who you will be standing next to in one of several lines you end up in.

I saw neighbors, friends, old pals, business friends and news makers and at least a dozen people who I recognized but couldn't immediately place or recall their names. But seeing them was still a pleasant experience.

Of course, the whole thing wouldn't happen if not for the thousands of hours of volunteer work it takes to put the whole shebang together. Pholks who cut the meat on Wednesday and concoct the secret marinade, which gets the meat ready for the barbequing early Saturday afternoon, get the ball rolling. Then there are the servers, the ticket takers, the bartenders, the cook crews who man a gaggle of portable land stationary barbeques, those who cut the veggies for the salads, stock the serving area with butter pats, rolls and napkin-wrapped plastic utensil packages, carry ice, clear the tables, collect trash and probably a dozen or more other chores which hardly anyone appreciates. Experience at working the Lamb Feed is obvious and even the rookies learn real fast. Being part of a PPAV family generally means you will work the event, if you are old enough.

The bash was started by Joe Sousa and Joe Correia with three lambs bought at the fair and has grown into one of the most anticipated annual gatherings in the area. This year, more than 6,000 pounds of lamb chops kept the barbeques fired up.

Just how much profit this year's feast will bring is still unknown, but Halstead thinks it should easily top the $800 profit from last year's event, At times, the organization has made some good money and with attendance well above the last couple of events, the prospects seem brighter, he said. It is not unusual for the cost of spices and marinating ingredients to top $2,000. Donations help offset some of that, along with other things needed to put on a feast for crowds from 2,500 to more than 4,000.

There seldom are problems at the Lamb Feed which draws families which usually span two or three generations. Dealing with such large crowds necessitates security but generally the mood is festive and anyone old enough to drink gets to wear a wrist band which this year was a fashionable green.

Wednesdays usually kick things off with cutting up the meat and getting it ready to be marinated. These afternoon and evening work sessions are fun, festive and not for the meek.

Thursday and Friday evenings are also busy times getting the meat turned in containers and everything stocked and ready. Barbeques are fired up Saturday afternoon and the aroma spreads across east central Visalia. By 6 p.m., it's party time. Thanks to a whole lot of pholks and 10 or 11 dozen sacrificed lambs.

Miles can be reached at mshuper@valleyvoicenewspaper.com