This weekend will be full of Harvest Days fun in Britton and good times will no doubt be had by all. However, one event may be a little bittersweet for some- the family and many friends of Joe Lang. This year’s Harvest Days theme “Backyard BBQ in Memory of Joe Lang” is dedicated to that very man. Ahead of the festival, it is worthwhile to take some time to appreciate Joe’s contributions to the event.
Joe Lang was born in Pierre and grew up in Aberdeen. He was a veteran of Desert Storm.
He and his wife Sonya have two sons, Jim and Chad. The family are outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy boating, fishing and hunting.
The Lang family moved to Britton around 25 years ago. The boys were active in Marshall County 4-H archery, with Joe acting as a dedicated parent volunteer that would often help with the activity. Sonya, Joe’s wife, also notes that Joe enjoyed cooking and barbecuing in particular.
In the last decade, Joe’s passions combined into something special involving Harvest Days. The rib cookoff has long been a big Harvest Days event. Formerly, North Marshall Fire Department ran the cookoff and teams had to include a fireman. Joe formed a team with NMFD firefighter Brian Beck and Orrie Jesz. The group cooked under the name “Three Guys with Gas” as all three drove gas trucks for local companies.
The cookoff became something that Joe and Orrie enjoyed so much that they volunteered to take it over around eight years ago when NMFD moved away from the event. The cookoff would become a fundraiser for 4-H Archery. “Joe and I just jumped in and never looked back,” Orrie explained.
Sonya and Orrie note that Joe did a great deal of the legwork for the rib cookoff. “He would start several months in advance,” Sonya said. “He really enjoyed getting sponsors and reaching out to teams.” And the teams seemed to really enjoy the Britton event.
Various people associated with the cookoff, including past participants, commented that Joe made the event fun. Orrie emphasized, the event involved friendly competition for sure, but also, thanks to Joe, visiting, drinking, learning and tasting as well. It was a relaxed atmosphere where (Continued on p14) all were welcome.
“Over the years, the cookoff really exploded,” explained Orrie. “It went from something that was struggling to a huge thing. We’re looking at close to twenty teams cooking this year.”
The cookoff has been beyond successful the last few years. On the Saturday of Harvest Days, after the ribs are judged, they are then sold, which goes to raise funds for the archery program. And to say that people flock to this tasty part of the day is an understatement. “Last year, we sold out in under an hour and that was 3,800 ribs,” said Orrie.
Indeed, the rib event has become a fixture of Harvest Days. “The cookoff has become an iconic part of a fun weekend,” said Britton Area Chamber President Hillarey Warner. “Joe was so passionate about it and willing to do anything to make it go well. We really appreciated his work on something that became a big lure for Harvest Days.”
The cookoff is also hugely important for Marshall County 4-H Archery. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said MC Archery Coach and Board Treasurer Megan Biel. “We earn about $3,000 every year and without it, wouldn’t have nearly the amount of equipment as we do. We’re grateful that Joe was so passionate about the archery program and helping it out through the years.”
This year, the rib cookoff will be a little different and perhaps difficult, especially for Sonya, her sons and Orrie. Joe will not be there. He passed away in February after a fouryear battle with brain cancer.
His wife says that even during his later days as his cancer progressed, Joe was still thinking of the rib cookoff. “Before he died, he made sure I knew where everything was,” said Sonya. “He explicitly said that he wanted the cookoff to go on.”
Joe’s partner Orrie is excited for this year’s event and a possible record number of teams, but also knows it will be difficult. “Not having Joe walking around visiting and keeping things going will be tough,” he stressed.
Besides organizing the cookoff, Joe left behind a meaningful legacy in other ways as well. His son Jim and Orrie’s son Isaac now compete with their own team. In homage to their dads’ original team, the younger generation calls themselves the Sons of Gas-archy.
For her part, Sonya remembers that it was right around Harvest Days when her family moved to Britton. She is proud and humbled to have Joe and his memory be part of this year’s festival as the theme pays tribute to his memory.
“It is an honor for our family to have Joe be remembered on Harvest Days,” she emphasized. “He loved the rib cookoff and just Britton in general.
“It’s going to be hard to not have him here this year,” Sonya added. “But Joe would want everyone to come out and support Harvest Days, 4-H Archery and the rib cookoff.”
Ribs go on sale Saturday evening at 5 p.m. on Main Street. Plan to get there early as they do sell out quickly!
