Like many others in the area, I was saddened to see the closure of Shaffer’s in Woodstock but certainly understand George’s decision to do so. I will miss the great food they supplied for various catered events I attended over the years but I am especially mourning the loss of their Pork BBQ dinners at the county fair.
I very much appreciated the informative article in the Northern Virginia Daily a few weeks ago on the Shaffer family. It not only helped me recall my own fond and flavorful memories, but I learned many new aspects regarding the Shaffer enterprises in Shenandoah County.
William Shaffer, who moved the egg business to Illinois in the 1950s had served as National President of the Future Farmers of America in the 1930s and was an inspiration to me when I was involved in that organization. My dad also delivered eggs and chicks for the Shaffers through which he met our mother at Boyer Grocery.
In addition, although my siblings and I knew that our dad had a stint of raising chinchillas years ago, we had no idea where that wild hair came from. Now we know. Because of his admiration for “Johnny D,” as dad always called him, dad was undoubtedly growing them to supply him with fur.
Dad told me another story not long before he died about the Shaffer family that also should be shared. Although he didn’t tell me the year, he told me that George’s grandfather, Vernon, built the large building up behind Massanutten Military Academy’s football field as a tomato processing plant. (The building now houses F d Neal Construction Ltd.) Shaffer planned to buy fruit from local growers, process and package it, and ship it out by rail which he did.
Dad remembered overhearing a conversation where Mr. Shaffer summarized their first year in business. After all income was received and all bills paid, net income was a mere $60.00. The other party remarked that it really wasn’t worth all the effort for such little profit to which Vernon Shaffer replied, “Yes, but just look how many people we employed.”
What a great perspective! Although turning a profit is necessary to remain in business, it was obvious that Mr. Shaffer saw a bigger picture that included his whole community. That philosophy proved true through several generations as the Shaffers hired many local people over the years, some seasonally and others long term, thus benefiting lots of folks beyond themselves.
Employing others is no small undertaking especially in this age of labor regulations, hiring restrictions, and payroll responsibilities. Employers certainly benefit from the efforts of those who work for them and have an obligation to compensate them fairly, but employees seldom understand the myriad headaches of employers unless they have been one.
Although I never worked for the Shaffers, I’m thankful for their family and their past, present, and future impact on our valley. But I’m also thankful for all local employers who see the bigger picture and try to not simply use their employees for their own gain with no regard to their wellbeing. I’m thankful for those who seek to pay their workers as much as possible while still being amply rewarded themselves for their own risk-taking, management, and entrepreneurial spirit. And I’m praying for God to rise up more of them to provide good-paying skilled, technical, and professional jobs for our children and grandchildren without having to drive out of the area. The closure of several valley industries over the last many years has left gaping holes in our valley economy that I’m praying for God to fill.
Until that happens, let us be thankful for those employers we do have and do all we can to adopt a big-picture mentality that supports and embraces the whole community even as did Mr. Vernon Shaffer. May God continue to bless the Shaffer family and our entire valley. Blessings, George