FINDLAY, Ill. (WCIA) — The harvest season brings long hours and hard work for farmers, so Rosie and Irl’s Smokehouse Saloon in Findlay decided to feed those who feed everyone else.

The restaurant thanked farmers by hosting their first Feed the Farmers event. They gave away their well-known pulled pork sandwiches, chips and homemade brownies to farmers who drove by the restaurant.

Owner Curt Wooters said it was important to give back.

“We got to thinking about what we can do for the community and for the farmers, because we’re so thankful and we’re so blessed to live in the agricultural capital of the world. And so we thought, let’s try to do something to help the farmers and just tell them thank you for what they do for us.”

Waitress Jade Crockett said the event meant much more to farmers than just getting fed.

“I think that it’ll help them understand that they are appreciated. Some of them don’t get home until late, don’t get a home cooked meal all the time, or get to spend time with their families. So I think it’s just showing them people are here to support them.”

Baillie Beck is a bartender at the smokehouse, and knows first-hand from her fiancé how far a solid lunch can go for the farmers in the fields.

“It was nice to be able to give a hearty lunch sandwich to the farmers that are working the long hours in the fields, and be able to provide them with something good to eat instead of a cold cut sandwich or something. They can get a good meal today.”

Due to the success of Feed the Farmers, Rosie and Irl’s plans to do a similar event next harvest season.