Huron to host first-ever Zone Junior Plow Day after this year's local match

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Just a few days after this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, the county will play host to the first-ever Zone 3 Junior Plow Day at the site in the hopes of attracting more young people to the world of competitive plowing.

 

Former Huron County Advisory Councillor to the Ontario Plowmen’s Association Steve Corbett, at the Huron Plowmen’s Association meeting on April 11 in Clinton, spoke about the proposition, saying he had volunteered the county as the host for the new venture. He said it had been discussed at a recent conference and due to farms going to no-till practices and a dramatic drop in youth participation in the International Plowing Match (IPM), those in the zone wanted to be proactive and bring more young people into the fold.

 

Corbett said that youth participation in last fall’s IPM was about half of what the Ontario Plowmen’s Association was expecting and, if that trend continues, the future won’t look so rosy for plowing matches in the province.

 

So, knowing that there is plenty of land to be plowed at this year’s site, he suggested that Huron County might be an appropriate host for the event and the membership at last week’s meeting agreed.

 

This year’s match is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15 and Friday, Aug. 16 at Vermue Farms on Bayfield River Road, Bayfield in Central Huron. It will be the 96th annual Huron County Plowing Match, but mark the 100th anniversary of the match (several years were lost due to wars, etc.), a milestone the organization hopes to celebrate. 

 

The match will follow the traditional formula with Junior and 4-H Day on Thursday and the professional match on Friday, followed by the awards banquet. The new Princess will be crowned on Thursday and the Queen of the Furrow will be named Friday night after the speeches earlier that day.

 

The Junior Plow Day will take place the following Sunday, when the site will still be largely set up from the previous days’ match and will still be insured. 

 

Corbett says no experience or equipment will be necessary and anyone between the ages of nine to 21 will be welcome to come out and learn about competitive plowing. They can be coached directly and gain hands-on experience before being left to their own devices to try and plow straight, which is the way to both a plowmen’s heart and a place on the podium.

 

The membership was in favour of the idea, as were the landowners, the Vermue family, who said it wouldn’t conflict with any plans of theirs on their property.