County Plowing Match marks its centennial
It’s set for Sept. 28 and 29 at Edgerton Farm
The Peterborough County Plowmen’s Association is already hard at work preparing for the 100th Annual Plowing Match.
Roy Craft, president of the association, gave a presentation Wednesday about the 2018 Peterborough County Plowing Match to Peterborough County council.
The plowing match will stretch over two days this year to celebrate the centennial match, from Sept. 28 to 29.
As always, the plowing match is free and family-friendly.
The location for the plowing match this year is at the Edgerton Farm at 11 Lindsay Rd., near Fowlers Corners.
The association was founded in 1913, but because of war restrictions from 1942 until the end of the Second World War, 2018 marks the 100th annual plowing match.
Peterborough County and the association hosted the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in 2006 at Mathers Corners in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township.
“The plowing match is to promote agriculture and the conservation of soil and the proper cultivation of soil, through the competition,” Craft said.
“If you have a well-plowed land, you not only have good soil health, but you also have good weed control as well.”
The event will feature 12 classes of competition over the two days, including horse drawn plows and the VIP Plow. The VIP Plow features local politicians trying their hand at plowing the perfect furrow.
“I have plowed every year in the VIP competition,” said said Coun. Mary Smith, the mayor of Selwyn Township and deputy warden of the county.
Smith has won the VIP class before, and said she enjoys the friendly competition that the plowing match provides.
“It’s fun and it helps us engage with our agricultural roots,” Smith said.
There will be a historical display of antique tractors and plows, for any patrons who want to see how plowing machinery has developed.
Lang Pioneer Village will also feature its Sawyer-Massey steam engine, which was manufactured in 1921, at the plowing match.
Contestants wishing to enter aren’t limited to only using the latest plows or tractors. Any age or model of plow can be used, as long as it can dig a good furrow.
Mel Davis, a member of the Peterborough County Plowmen’s Association, said how the annual match has seen a wide range of plows entered, regardless of how old they might be.
“A walking plow, well that’s as old as you get,” Davis said. “Some of those plows would be about 200 years old.”
The plowing match will also feature more than 30 concession booths and local businesses over the two days.
Tickets will also be on sale for a banquet at Bridgenorth United Church on Sept. 29 to celebrate the 100th plowing match.
The tickets will cost $20 and be first come first served.
As a celebration of local agriculture, Smith said that she hopes the event will attract visitors from outside of the county and be a fun and educational event to learn more about plowing and farming.
“By talking about the plowing match, what we’re really talking about is agriculture,” Smith said.