Get ‘em while they’re hot!

The Dartmouth Grange was once again full of hungry visitors on Saturday, April 23 as volunteers churned out Jonnycakes, pancakes, and bacon for the first weekend of the hall’s annual breakfast fundraiser.

“It’s nice to see everybody because we haven’t in a while,” said Dartmouth Grange President Sam Manley, adding that he’d already seen “a lot of familiar faces.”

“We have some great people who support us,” he said. “Our members are really dedicated.”

Manley said that he was glad the Grange was able to hold the event again because it is an important fundraiser for the hall. He noted that money goes toward helping pay for building maintenance, service projects, and annual scholarships for Dartmouth and Westport graduates totaling about $45,000.

He said that during 2020 and 2021, the organization did “basically no fundraising” because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s affected everyone, especially anyone who relies on fundraising,” he said.

Manley said the Grange used to do a lobster bake, but transitioned to Jonnycakes in recent years to bring in a larger group of diners.

“We like to be a little more affordable and family friendly,” he said.

Manley explained that the cornmeal pancakes are a traditional food in New England that have been popular since they were first introduced to early European settlers by Native American tribes.

He said that the Grange breakfast stays true to the roots of the dish by using only heritage-variety flint corn to make its Jonnycake batter.

The native variety closely resembles the kind of corn that was present in the region and eaten by Native Americans for centuries. It differs from modern varieties in several ways but most notably in that it is much harder and thus can only be eaten after being ground into cornmeal.

“I’m using the original corn,” said George Whitney, the miller at Gray’s Grist Mill in Westport where the flint corn is ground into Jonnycake mix using 300 year old granite millstones. “You can’t eat this stuff off the cob.”

He said that while flint corn is not widely grown anymore because its low yields compared to modern, genetically modified crops make it less cost effective, it offers a unique taste and texture.

“It really is the corn that was grown here 200 years ago,” Manley said.

In addition to the locally-grown and ground corn, the Grange provided local maple syrup, jams and jellies to go on top of the Jonnycakes.

For those that missed the first weekend of Jonnycakes, the Grange will host another breakfast next Saturday, April 30 from 8 to 11 a.m.