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Farmers Market Beef Days remembers Scott Kleppe back, for now Participation is key to the return of summertime Solon tradition
Chris Umscheid | Solon Economist
Customers gather at the Silver Maple Farms’ table during the farmers market Wednesday, July 8 in Mushroom Park as owners Beth (middle) and Tyler stand ready to assist and farmers market organizer Katie Hackert (at left) looks on from her Flour Belly Bakery table. Four vendors in total were at the event, the first in at least two years in Solon. Hackert hopes the market will gain in popularity and once again become a weekly part of summer in Solon. Chris Umscheid Solon Economist
chris.umscheid@soloneconomist.com
There are a number of summertime traditions in Solon. Beef Days, of course, is the biggest, along with high school and youth baseball and softball, and entertainment through the weekly Music on Mainstreet concert series. One tradition that has been absent for a couple of years, a weekly farmers market in Mushroom Park, is attempting to make a comeback. Four vendors were onsite Wednesday, July 8, for the first market in a trial period to determine viability. Katie Hackert and husband Quinn own Flour Belly Bakery and were selling teas, lemonade, and specialty sourdough breads. Katie spearheaded the effort to bring back the weekly market. “We’ve lived in Solon for a long time and it’s growing now, there’s a lot more families here, and we think that we could support a farmers market,” she said. “So, we just wanted to amp it back up. It’s been off for a couple of years now, so we asked the City (City Administrator Cami Rasmussen) if we could give it a try to bring it back, and they were very supportive and said yes.” FARMERS MARKET | 2
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Longtime Solon servant named honorary Grand Marshal Cami Rasmussen Solon Beef Days Committee
This year’s honorary 2026 Beef Days Grand Marshal is Scott Kleppe. Scott passed away in June of this year after a brief and unexpected illness. His impact on Beef Days and the Solon community has been immeasurable. Scott grew up in Tipton and moved to Solon in 1998 when he accepted a job in Public Works for the City of Solon. He led the Solon Public Works Department for nearly 27 years and oversaw the set up and tear down of Beef Days all those years. Scott also served on the Beef Days Committee as the vice president under Gary Bentrim then later as the committee president. Scott’s wife Tina, son Josh, and daughter-in-law Jenny will be in the Beef Days parade in honor of Scott and his many years of devotion to Beef Days. When asked what hobbies and interests were, the answer was fishing and fishing. He treasured getting away from the hectic pace of public works from time to time to fish both for leisure and in tournaments. He also made custom fishing rods with incredible one-of-a-kind designs. Scott’s favorite Beef Days event was the hay bale toss, a signature event of Beef Day that packed Solon Main Street with people to watch how high a hay bale can be thrown. There wasn’t a part of Beef Days that Scott wasn’t involved in some way and while it was a lot of work, he looked forward to Thursday nights uptown when most of the set up was complete and the committee and folks setting up would gather under the big tent and share a
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beer and laughs. Beef Days has grown into a premier eastern Iowa celebration, and Scott’s work is a big part of its success. To our dear friend Scott Kleppe, thank you for your long-time service to Beef Days and our Solon community.
McFarland reflects on a lifetime of service after being named Solon Senior of the Year Giving back has always been more important than receiving, he says Ella McEntaffer Solon Economist
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When John McFarland received the phone call informing him that he had been selected as Solon's 2026 Senior of the Year, he said the news came as both a surprise and an honor. “When I got the call from Sandy Hanson, I knew that I had been selected, and I was honored to be that person this year." For McFarland, the recognition reflects decades of service, not only in Solon, but throughout a lifetime in the Midwest. McFarland earned a bachelor's
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degree in education and a master's degree in school psychology from what was then Emporia State College in Kansas. After teaching one year at a Kansas high school, he entered the U.S. Army Reserve following his draft notice before returning to complete his graduate degree. Over the years, McFarland has devoted countless hours to community organizations. He has been a member of the American Legion for 47 years, the United Methodist Church for nearly five decades, and served nine years on the Solon school board from 1976 to 1985. He has also been active with the Optimist Club for more than 50 years, volunteered with The Arc of Southeast Iowa, served as a Mason for 67 years, and helped with the Solon
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Solon Beef Days is a great festival which has been going on since 1971 — and it is TOTALLY FREE! There is no admission charge to any of the concerts or Kids' stage shows and events. Come enjoy this two day celebration!
SOLON
ECOKNOWMIST