Outpost Cafe Awarded Farmers Grow Communities Award

Scott St. John, Opheim farmer, has selected the Outpost Cafe, of Opheim, to receive a $2,500 donation as part of the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.

The Outpost Cafe will use the funds to continue serving the needs of the Opheim community by providing meals, with a focus on feeding local seniors. The Outpost Cafe also caters to local farmers and ranchers in the area. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Scott St. John for choosing the Cafe. It is greatly appreciated,” said Twyla Anderson, secretary/treasurer of Opheim Development, Inc.

St. John had read an article in the Daniels County Leader about a Peerless farmer being awarded the Monsanto grant the previous year, and looked up online how to register for the grant. Regarding his selection of the cafe for the grant, St. John said,”I chose the Cafe as it is an important asset to the town of Opheim. From Senior Citizens’ meals twice a week to Saturday pizza nights to daily breakfasts, it provides a special location to catch up with friends and neighbors.” The cafe is currently managed by Amy Pankratz Goltz, with two to three locals helping out with rotating shifts.

The Outpost Cafe offers special senior meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and according to Anderson, the cafe averages 20 meals on each of those days, or over 2,000 meals per year. The cafe is open Sundays through Saturdays, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and additionally on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Since the program began in 2010, the Grow Communities program has partnered with farmers to support nonprofit organizations important to them in their local communities. The program has given more than $29 million to farming communities since its inception. Each year, farmers enter for a chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit they care about. “Farmers play a pivotal role in rural communities, and through their commitment to the Grow Communities program, we are able to provide the monetary support these nonprofit organizations need to make an impact,” said Monsanto Fund President Al Mitchell.