With upwards of 100,000 people expected to enter the gates of the International Plowing Match (IPM) between Sept. 18 and 22 in Pain Court, organizers are gearing up with services to take care of the huge crowds.
At a Media Day event last week at the IPM site on Pain Court Line, the executive committee with co-chairs Leon Leclair and Darrin Canniff laid out the work that has gone into getting the site ready, and the sponsors who helped make it possible.
Canniff said thousands of volunteers have worked tirelessly to get the 858 acres of farmland ready for thousands of exhibitors, plowing demonstrations, entertainment, educational displays and food vendors.
With thousands of kilometres of hydro cables, water lines and drainage, a tent city has sprung up on the site, which will also be accessible to people with mobility issues.
“Without the landowners, volunteers, sponsors and community support, this event wouldn’t happen,” Leclair said in his comments. “This is one big puzzle – some pieces are small and some are the corners, but they all matter to make it whole.”
Leclair added that any assertions that rural and urban people and organizations can’t work together are wrong, as the collaboration between city and country has worked well to bring together the IPM as a whole.
There will be thousands of things to see and do over the course of the IPM, including several attempts at Guinness world or at least IPM records in events like apple bobbing, corn-cob eating, an egg and spoon run, and the world’s largest Caesar – the cocktail, not the salad. New this year, the world record attempts will need the help of the people in attendance.
The popular and local Canadian Cowgirls Precision Drill Team will be on hand to wow the crowds with trick and precision riding, and other special entertainment includes the rodeo, Team Farmall Dancing Tractors and an exciting lineup of music talent including the Canadian Celtic rock favourites MUDMEN.
“Excitement is building for this year’s Match, which is shaping up to be a great event for all,” said David Murray, president of the Ontario Plowmen’s Association, which partnered with Chatham-Kent to organize this year’s event. “The community in Chatham-Kent and beyond has gotten behind IPM 2018. It’s sure to be a memorable event.”
While the IPM traditionally has been an event to showcase the farming community and educate the world on how the agriculture industry contributes to our communities and economy, the event has something for everyone to enjoy, including a special Francophone Day on Sept. 20.
“The IPM is for everyone, that’s why we brought in things like setting the world’s records, we have 40 different music entertainers, the Canadian Cowgirls, the Farmall Dancing Tractors – all these different things to appeal to everyone,” Canniff noted. “There’s going to be vendors and yes, there is going to be plowing, plus a top-notch education tent where city people can come out and learn about agriculture.”
Landowner in Pain Court and IPM executive committee member Jean-Marie Laprise is the chair of the agriculture education committee, and he and his team have been working hard to for months to grow 70 different kinds of crops to maturation to showcase what our food looks like before it hits our tables or shelves.
“The IPM is not just an agricultural expo. There is all kinds of lifestyle and educational displays for everyone of all ages,” Laprise noted. “The crop supply in the agricultural education display is a group of 70 different crops we planted at different times of the year to have them all mature roughly during plowing match week. That was very challenging and we’ve had some animal damage. Some deer decided to come by and snack, and the climate didn’t always co-operate this summer, but what’s important is to know what your food actually looks like. A lot of people don’t know what a cauliflower looks like unless it’s wrapped in a plastic bag.”
Laprise added that agriculture is a $3 billion industry in Chatham-Kent.
“It’s not just about farming. It’s about agri-business. It’s about having people that are experts in fertilizers and in soils. We need agronomists, we need bankers, we need teachers, accountants, truckers; there’s so much spin-off to agriculture,” he noted. “It’s likely that eight out of 10 people that work in agriculture have nothing to do with the farm. We have major seed production companies with Pride, Pioneer, Maizex right here in Chatham-Kent.”
Major IPM sponsors Ontario Mutuals, BMO and Hydro One were acknowledged by the co-chairs for their support, and in the official guide, each sponsor is listed and appreciated.
All the information from the official IPM 2018 Show Guide can be found online at plowingmatch.org/ipm2018, including maps, times and locations of all the events.
For general enquiries regarding the IPM, please call 519-350-1686.
