In a display of small-town spirit difficult to match, about 150 volunteers from our community annually collaborate to deliver a service event that uses homemade, wholesome fun to celebrate agriculture.

Children eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Ag Day Festival like Christmas morning, while generations of families gather to enjoy an event that radiates small-town charm and the spirit of service. Admission and ride tickets do not exist. All the activities are free, provided by FFA and 4-H families and supporting groups and donors – from the bale climb and beloved farm chore course to the corn maze, apple peeling and barnyard animal tent.

Breakfast is complimentary, slices of homemade pie are offered for a donation, and lunch sales help offset festival costs.

The vitality of a rural village is found in its people, and volunteerism gives our town its heartbeat. Unlike cities with quick access to resources and paid staff, our community relies on volunteers as firefighters and first responders.

The church pianist, youth sports coaches, and the committee that dresses up downtown for the holidays all serve without pay. Lacking a taxpayer-funded park district, volunteers largely manage our three parks. Volunteers plan community events. And it was skilled volunteers who donated their time and equipment to build the only two playgrounds in town: at the school and at the park.

In fact, a sign at the entrance to town recognized the latter, a two-story barn playground that in recent years won the Governor’s Cup, the state’s top honor for volunteerism. That sign epitomizes our belief in instilling an ethic of service in the next generation and teaching them self-sufficiency, a quality often romanticized in media yet lived out daily in our rural life.

Volunteers lead the local 4-H club and Girl Scout troop, the FFA Alumni, parent-teacher group and economic development interests. Our community’s Christians volunteer to serve 500 turkey dinners every fall to raise funds for the church’s mission projects. Philanthropists revived downtown buildings, bringing a food pantry and restaurant to town. And local leaders founded a community fund designed to build endowed wealth to provide ongoing financial support for area projects.

Many of us hold side gigs as part-time volunteers because we desire to make a difference. But, mentoring youth, reviving storefronts, planning community celebrations, fighting fires and filling the sanctuary with hymns on Sunday ensures that small towns can thrive.

About the author: Joanie Stiers farms with her brother and parents in West-Central Illinois, where they grow corn, soybeans and hay, raise beef cattle and operate side businesses related to the family operation.