I think we all know this is an important time of year. Change is in the air! We’re closing the cabin for the season and pulling our last batch of tomatoes out before the first freeze. Time to hunker down and think about Thanksgiving recipes and snow tires. So, when my editor suggested I write about some of the unique animal farms that are such popular destinations in the fall, I knew I had to write about the real reason we enjoy this time of year…pie!
Dutch Apple, Blueberry, Pecan, Rhubarb Custard, Pumpkin, Peach, Cherry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple. I mean who doesn’t love pie?! I knew I had to do some extensive research and go straight to the experts…the Pie Baking Team of Trinity Lutheran Church (Faribault, MN).
As soon as the rhubarb starts to ripen in May, the pie making begins. Every Monday until Thanksgiving, you’ll find this ever-evolving volunteer group of up to 20 people creating homemade pies. What started as a fundraiser for some stonework at the what was going to be their new church in 1989, has now turned into a much-loved event that produces revenue for all sorts of cleaning, repairs, kitchen equipment, electronic door openers and even some blacktop for the parking lot. The pie project also donates scholarship money annually for the Faribault Lutheran School.
You just have to walk into the main doors of the church and you know right away where the kitchen is. Follow the tantalizing scent! I wandered in and was met by the group’s Treasurer, Arlene Zielske. She’s been involved in the pie project for 15 years and is also the unofficial historian of the group. She keeps a scrapbook outlining the volume of pies produced and where the money goes as well as letters from appreciative customers, photos and newspaper clippings documenting the project.
The commercial kitchen is lined with women of many different generations all sporting hair nets. There’s a lot of chatting and laughing. The men were busy attending to the apple peeling machines clamped on the table edges at the other side of the kitchen. They were pretty quiet until I accidentally mentioned I was there to write about the Pie Ladies. They glanced up and corrected me. “You mean the Pie People.”
Clearly the fellowship is a big part of this weekly get together. Every volunteer has their assigned duty and they seem to have become experts at their individual part of the process. There’s one woman who is the crust ingredient mixer and four younger gals who are deemed to have the arm strength to be in charge of rolling out the crusts. I tried to pay special attention to the lady who is in charge of fluting the edges of the crust as this is my baking weakness. She was so skilled she could practically do this with her eyes shut. She revealed no secrets! I thought there was lard in their magical crust, but was told that wasn’t true. I tried to ask if there was a secret to soak up the extra liquid in the rhubarb pie (yet another downfall of my home baking)…no comment. These folks were tough!
The group makes an average of 100 pies a day but during this current busy season, they sometimes have to add an additional day to their baking schedule to meet demand. Rumor has it, it’s a “heavy pie year.” I guess we all survived the start of the pandemic and now need dessert to help ease us back into everyday life. The bakers even do the occasional wedding or reunion where folks order in advance for a special event. Keep them in mind for your next extravaganza!
The day I was there, they had just taken 8 pumpkin pies out of the oven, were prepping 10 pecan pies and sealing the crust on 12 apple pies. There were also bowls heaped with cut up apples dusted with cinnamon and sugar ready to become Dutch Apple pies. Some pies are sold unbaked or fresh out of the oven right at the Church (Mondays starting at 10:30am). Once frozen, they’re taken to Trumps Orchard where they stock a big freezer with all sorts of the flavors and return the proceeds to the Church.
Trumps Orchard donates tons of fresh apples and has been a huge supporter of the Church for years. I spoke to one of the owners, Joyce, who was too shy to take much credit or give me too many details. Many locals and members of the congregation also donate components that allow the pies to continue to be sold very affordably (average $10 each).
The most popular flavor tends to shift according to the weather and what’s available locally. My personal favorite is the Rhubarb Custard. Creamy, tangy, colorful perfection! My sister, Jennifer, won’t eat cooked fruit and my sister, Beth, won’t eat creamy things. Clearly, both are terrible people and should never be invited to partake of these amazing pies! Call me if you wanna come over. I’ll pop a pie in the oven and we can share a piece (or two)!
Trinity Lutheran Church
530 4th Street NW
Faribault, MN 55021
(507) 331-6579
Trumps Orchard
(507) 334-5167
