About 360 of Lubbock's fireman, police, sheriffs, and paramedics received a warm meal at the Farmers Feeding the Front Lines event in Lubbock, Texas, April 25.

Volunteers handed out boxed meals containing grilled hamburger steak along with sides and banana pudding to first responders curbside at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture. Volunteers also delivered meals to various fire stations.

"We're very appreciative of the community wanting to provide a meal that's, number one, a comfort meal," said Pvt. Lt. Mark Wall, Lubbock Police Department. "We're appreciative of them thinking about us while we are out working and that they understand what we are going through as well."

Initially, April 25 was the date set for the museum's annual fundraiser, Party on the Prairie. But due to COVID-19, the event was canceled. The museum board of directors decided instead to use April 25 as an opportunity to reach out to first responders.

Bayer Museum of Agriculture's Board President Dan Taylor said they had 31 individuals from within the agricultural community volunteer, along with five museum staff. The museum was intentional about scheduling shifts to maintain social-distancing guidelines, adds Taylor.

"We had a lot of people involved, but we tried to plan it where there weren't too many people in one area at a time." 

AgTexas Farm Credit provided grilled the hamburger steaks; and Jeana's Feedbag Catering of Levelland donated and prepared the sides and dessert, along with the help of several volunteers. A local farming family made masks for everyone who helped.

"The response was better than anticipated when you plan something like this," Taylor says. "Rural people and farmers and West Texans are known to step forward for a need."

The event also generated monetary donations totaling $4,300. "We received a lot of donations, although that wasn't the motive for having this," Taylor says. "The board will use the excess funds to give back to the first responders. It's not going into the museum's general fund. It will be used for the purpose given."

Reopening

March 29, the museum temporarily closed its doors in response to the COVID-19 shelter in place order, but Taylor says they hope to reopen soon. On May 1, the museum provided the following update on their Facebook page: "In the best interest of the public's safety and that of our employees and volunteers, our museum will not be opening today. We are taking every precaution and making sure we are able to meet the Lubbock Safe Guidelines. We are waiting on the delivery of items for touchless checkout and social distancing like an acrylic germ guard for our front desk. We thank you for your patience and look forward to seeing you soon. Please check back here for updates, and, as always, thank you for your support."

Upcoming events at the museum include a homemade ice cream social, tentatively planned for June 2, which includes a contest for the best ice cream; and the museum's primary fundraiser, Night for the Museum, which will be held Sept. 1 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

"It's a neat event," Taylor says. The keynote speaker will be Andrew McCrea, the host of the American Countryside radio broadcasts and whose nationally syndicated features have earned him four Oscars in Agriculture in broadcasting. 

The Bayer Museum of Agriculture is a non-profit agricultural history and education center with more than 30,000 square feet of interior exhibit space and 24 acres. The museum showcases a combination of artifacts and modern technologies to tell the story of agriculture's past, present, and future.

For museum updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. For more information or to support the museum through annual membership or to become a volunteer, visit the website at www.agriculturehistory.org.