“In our wildest dreams we never would have imagined this,” said Fred, who sat in the ‘quiet’ part of the, what he calls, “double wide” building.

The double building allows Jude’s Café to have different paces for different people. For example, if a resident wants to be in the crowd, they can sit in the main part of the restaurant. And if a resident wants to have a quiet meal, the other side, which is divided by a wall, would be better suited for them.

The Vorwald’s have seen an increase of business since the opening of the new location. They used to be able to seat 34 people, but now they have seating for 103 people.

“It’s nice because now we can take reservations for three groups of ten,” said Judy, instead of not being able to take them at all.

One local businessman even said that their business is like the energizer bunny - they just keep going and going.

The couple spends a lot of time in the kitchen area, which is twice the size of what it was, and Judy misses not being able to talk to everybody that comes in.

But they still receive compliments on the building, the business and how much the residents appreciate the place.

“It’s nice to hear,” Fred said. “You wouldn’t believe how many friends and customers stopped in while we were moving to help.”

“And all we paid them was with a meal,” added Judy.

Their employees, which have increased since the move, are getting used to the new layout.

“I like it much better,” said Sheryl McWilliams, a waitress at Jude’s Café. “It’s easier to move around tables and I can sit and talk to more people.”

The kitchen staff also enjoys the new space.

“It was wild and crazy at first,” said Stacey Bond, head cook, “but now we’re starting to get used to it.”

Bond, who is from Manchester, loves the new space and especially likes the two fryers and two grills.

Fred and Judy also do catering for Christmas parties and other small events.

Jude’s Café has daily specials Monday through Friday and Fred said they offer everything.

“We can serve anything at anytime,” he said. “If someone wanted a hamburger at 5 (a.m.) then that’s what we would give him.”

They are open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. to noon on Sundays.

Leaves changing colors and falling off trees and colder weather slowly approaching mean that it’s October and Halloween. And what better way to celebrate fall and get ready for Halloween than attending the first annual Sherman’s Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze Fall Festival located at 413 South Wayne Street in Manchester.

The first day for the event took place on Sunday, Oct. 8 with free face painting, free pumpkin decorating, free games and, of course, the corn maze.

But for those of you who missed it, there will be another chance on Sunday, Oct. 15.

“It’s our 27th year for our pumpkin patch,” said Jackie Sherman. Her and her husband, Dean, run the event. “We try to stay family oriented.”

The Sherman’s sell squash, Indian corn, bales of straw, corn stalks, pumpkins and other fall decorations.

They have been growing pumpkins since 1980 and they look forward to seeing everyone each year.
“It’s kind of neat because we are now seeing the second or third generation of people,” said Jackie. “Families try to make it a traditional thing.”

They hope to continue and build the fall festival each year.

“We would like to build on the festival slowly,” said Dean, “so everyone is happy. We wouldn’t mind having hay rides next year if we could find someone to help.”

This year’s corn maze is shaped like the state of Iowa with highways and interstates. The Sherman’s encourage families to bring their cameras but if the family didn’t, the Sherman’s will take a complimentary picture of the family completing the maze.

Families are also encouraged to take pictures with their ‘pumpkin family,’ which consists of Gus (who sits on a bench), Herb (who stands guard of the pumpkins), Fred (who stands on his head near the parking entrance) and Eddie and Emily (who sit on a tetter totter).

The corn maze, which used to be in Sherman’s field, is now in Curt and Mary Maurer’s field. Dean said that the pasture is now more open for parking.

And it’s easier for families to get their items since they are parking closer to the pumpkins. They even have little red radio flyer wagons to help haul the items to the vehicles.

But if you can’t make it on Oct. 15, you won’t miss out on the pumpkins or corn maze. The farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to dusk and the corn maze is open Saturday from 9 a.m. to dusk and Sunday from 11 a.m. to dusk. Both are open until Oct. 31.

A portion of the corn maze proceeds will go toward the Core Youth Ministries and the Our Savior Lutheran Youth Group both in Manchester.

Food is also available during the fall festival and the Sherman’s invite families to “pick a shade tree” and join them for lunch.

For more information on next Sunday’s fall festival, the pumpkin farm or the corn maze, call Dean at 563-920-2732.

O’Brien wants a ‘safe and healthy Iowa’

“I want safe and healthy families, safe and healthy farms and a safe and healthy Iowa,” said Denise O’Brien during her recent stop in Manchester.

O’Brien, who is the Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, is campaigning non-stop around the state until the Nov. 7 election date.

O’Brien, who has lived and worked on a farm for 30 years near Atlantic, wants the family farms to make a comeback.

“We need all sizes of farms,” said O’Brien, “not just the big ones.”

She would like to establish low interest loans for beginning farmers with a new division within the Department of Agriculture.

“No one is making it a priority,” said O’Brien.

She also supports renewable energy.

“We need to maintain a leader status in that,” she said. “We need the communities and farmers to own ethanol plants.”

And as proof of that, her son-in-law, Kevin, is touring the state with a green school bus that runs on homemade bio-diesel fuel. Right now the bus is touring southern Iowa. Kevin collects cooking oil from various communities they travel through and mixes it with ethanol and potassium. The fuel runs in regular diesel engines.

“It costs 55 cents a gallon to make and with road tax it comes to 80 cents,” said O’Brien. “It’s a way to show that there are other ways that people can create energy.”

Another area of concern for O’Brien is healthier foods. She said she wants to keep Iowa grown foods in Iowa because local foods are “fresher, so they taste better and have more nutrients.”

She said about 80 to 90 percent of Iowa’s food comes from out of state. She said Iowans spent close to $31.5 million at farmer’s markets across the state in 2004.

O’Brien and her husband, Larry Harris, have operated a farm since 1976 and milked cows until 1995.
Now they raise poultry and grow apples and strawberries.

Her Republican opponent for Iowa Secretary of State is Bill Northey from Spirit Lake.