Sweet Sixteen was the theme for this year’s Farm Family Appreciation Celebration held each spring before farmers get busy with chores and planting.

The dinner and dance, at the Hamburg Field House, are free to farmers and their immediate families. Friends are charged for the dinner, prepared by Moyer’s Caterers, Boyertown.

The tables had Sweet Sixteen decorations and gold chocolates. Black and white star-shaped balloons floated above the tables.

There were many “Hey, good to see you” greetings both outside as people waited for the doors to open and inside while others were getting seated.

The placemats had a “Did you know?” section.

Included were questions such as: Did you know soybeans are an important ingredient for the production of crayons? One acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons.

There were crayons on the tables for children to color the placemats.

Did you know agriculture employs more than 24 million American workers?

Did you know today’s American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide? In 1960, that number was 25.8.

Sponsors of the celebration were: Heidelberg Lutheran Church; Jerusalem Red Church, Kempton; St. John Gernants Union Church; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Hamburg; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Summer Hill; Berks County and Lehigh-Northampton Pomona granges; Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lansford; Morrissey Insurance; Fulton, National Penn, New Tripoli, The Neffs National and Tompkins VIST banks; Northeastern Evangelical Synod, Ziegels Union Church, Breinigsville; Union Lutheran Church; St. Peter’s Union Church, Lynnville; and Penn State Extension.

Cathryn Reidenhour, 3 months, wore a shirt saying “Born to farm. The young lady was sleeping and awoke just in time for dinner. Her grandmother, Joanne, greeted a youth with “How are you? You’re all grown up.” One of the main reasons for the celebration is to socialize.

The Rev. Inge Williams of Friedens Lutheran Church, Shartlesville, led the opening prayer, military recognition and introduction of sponsors.

Williams said she has been at Friedens for 1-1/2 years. She said the farmers do sacred work and she found it a pleasure to be helping with the celebration.

“Besides, it is fun,” Williams said. “I wasn’t expecting so many people and am excited to be seeing a hoedown for the first time.”

“The Outlaws,” with Paul Adams doing the calling provided the music.

Karen Boyd with the Lehigh County Farm Bureau is chairman of the Women’s Committee.

She said the farmers love to come out and spend the evening together as it gives them a time to relax.

Boyd said the dinner also helps people learn where their food comes from and so has an educational aspect.

She looked around at the many kids of all ages and said she hopes they will want to be farmers also.

“People need a preacher, doctor and undertaker at least once in their lives but they need a farmer three times a day to feed them,” Boyd said.

Her family has three generations living with five grandchildren, however, some of the families at the dinner have more generations living.

As Adams prepared to call the first set of dances, he told everyone to fill in the front of the hall.

He saw someone taking his jacket off and said, “That’s right, take your jacket off. By the time we are finished you won’t need it.”

Lil’ Dairy Miss Kalina Rhoads of Barto sang a song about farming she wrote herself.

Accompanying her as she made the rounds of farming events were Brittany Haag and Mikayla Davis with the Berks County Dairy Princess Promotion Board.

They were there to remind people to have three servings of dairy a day.