Chuck's Chat - Welcome to July 2026

After enduring nearly three weeks of rain the sunshine is certainly a welcomed change. However, and we knew this would happen, the humidity is brutal! Just standing still outside almost feels like you’re in a sauna. It’s not helping paint, lacquer, or sealer dry on projects in my shop. And I just can’t do a thing with my hair at all.

For your planning purposes, the annual meeting of Montgomery County Farm Bureau will be held October 6 at 6:30pm at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Independence. If you know of a member or family in need of our silent auction proceeds, contact Kathy O’Brien at (620) 331-0826.

National Ice Cream Month is celebrated every July in the United States, with the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. The tradition began in 1984 when the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a joint resolution declaring July as National Ice Cream Month and July 15 as National Ice Cream Day. President Reagan signed it into law on July 9, 1984, with Presidential Proclamation 5219. The proclamation encouraged Americans to enjoy ice cream with friends and family, and the celebration has continued annually since.

Like many of the foods holidays we have on the calendar, the exact origin of ice cream is unknown. What we do know, however, is the origin of ice cream likely dates back to A.D. 54 to 68 during the time when Nero was Emperor of Rome. Evidence shows harvesting ice or snow, then flavoring it with honey or other flavorings to make ice cream. Alexander the Great supposedly enjoyed icy drinks that had flavorings such as honey or nectar, too!

For a while, ice cream was only an occasional special treat, mainly for the rich. The first appearance of ice cream in the U.S. is found in a letter by Maryland Governor William Bladen in 1744. Early U.S. Presidents also had a liking towards ice cream. In fact, in the summer of 1790, George Washington spent approximately $200 for ice cream.

In 1843, Nancy Johnson patented the hand crank ice cream maker. Eight years later, in 1851, Jacob Fussell, a Quaker dairyman from Maryland, built the first ice cream factory. The invention of mechanical refrigeration helped keep large amounts of ice cream cool. Further improvements and new inventions in technology made ice cream more available to the general public.

Some fun facts: Vanilla is the most popular flavor of ice cream. The ice cream soda was invented in 1874. The average American consumes about 20–23 pounds of ice cream per year, which is roughly 4–5 gallons. This equates to over 120 scoops (about 1/2 cup each) per person annually.

Gotta go, I’m hungry!

Chuck Voelker

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