When COVID-19 forced the Park County Farm Bureau to scrap its annual banquet last year, the organization decided to pay it forward.

Each fall, as the sugar beet harvest comes to a close, the local chapter of the Wyoming Farm Bureau hosts a dinner for its members. More than 100 area farmers typically attend the event, which features a nice meal and a keynote speaker; the 2019 event featured prime rib and Gov. Mark Gordon.

But in 2020, the pandemic severely restricted large indoor gatherings like banquets.

“Because of COVID, we ended up running into roadblocks,” said Park County Farm Bureau President Abby Shuler.

At first, the bureau’s nine-member board thought it could just postpone things until the new year. However, as time went on, COVID-19 infections continued, the public health orders remained in place and the hopes of a banquet faded. Still, Shuler said, “as a board, we decided we wanted to do something.”

At the suggestion of board member Katie Horton, the group took roughly the same amount of money it would have spent on the dinner and donated it to local food pantries; Park County Farm Bureau recently sent off a pair of $1,000 checks: one to Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes and another to the Cody Cupboard.

“We’re just trying to do some good for our local community,” Shuler explained. “Just with the curveball that COVID threw, it’s affected a lot of families. And we figured by doing a donation of this sort, we would help a lot of families within Park County.”

The Farm Bureau is best known as an advocacy organization for farmers and ranchers — working to protect private property rights and push for limited taxes, for instance — but giving back to the community is part of its mission. The group offers scholarships to youth, helps provide agriculture education in local classrooms and is a big supporter of the Park County Junior Livestock Sale.

“We try to do something for the community and stay within our local community,” said Shuler.

In the case of the recent donations, she said it was a case of one nonprofit being able to help another; she added that Park County is fortunate to have food pantries available for those who need it.

“Organizations like the Cody Cupboard and the [Powell Valley] Loaves and Fishes, those are always organizations that are helping people,” Shuler said, “but they also need help, too.”

Beyond seeing more demand for services, local pantries were dealt another blow when COVID led to last year’s biggest food drives being called off. That made it particularly good news when the Park County Farm Bureau turned its canceled banquet into an opportunity to help out.

Sometimes, Shuler said, “it works for everybody.”