The Citizen - Huron County Plowing Match 2022

Wiersma ‘speechless’ ahead of 2022 Plowing Match

By Brian Wiersma President of the Huron County Plowmen’s Association

I would like to invite you to the 94th Huron County Plowing Match, which is being held on Thursday, Aug. 18 and Friday, Aug. 19 at Amalgamation Acres, the home farm of Brian and Annette MacKenzie and family at 85399 St. Helens Line, Lucknow.

Thursday, Aug. 18 will be our match’s Junior Day, focusing on our junior plowers from the 4-H Sodbusters Club and the Princess competition. The current Huron County Princess is Grace Hallahan, who has done an excellent job these past three years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We thank her for representing the Huron County Plowmen’s Association at various events throughout Huron County over the past three years. The speeches for the Huron County Princess competition will begin on Thursday, at 1 p.m.

The Junior Day is the culmination of many hours of practice and preparation by the 4-H Sodbuster Club. Congratulations to all of the 4-H members for their hard work and dedication. Special thanks go out to Brian McGavin, Melissa Veldman and Don Dodds for their guidance and contributions to the club.

On Friday morning, breakfast is available by donation to the Ontario Humane Society on site from 7:309:30 a.m. prepared by Jonathon Nelson. Lunch will be available for purchase on site thanks to Wild Willy’s food truck. The tractor plowing begins at 9 a.m. and the horse plowing at 10 a.m.

The plowing continues throughout the day. Some of the antique equipment may be demonstrating hobby plowing during the day. There will be a variety of displays to visit, in addition to the plowing in the field.

The speeches for the Queen of the Furrow competition will commence at 1 p.m. on Friday. Our current Queen is Maranda Klaver who has done an excellent job these past three years throughout the COVID19 pandemic.

She will be representing us at the 2022 International Plowing Match (IPM). She has been very active at various events during the past three years promoting Huron County. The crowning of the 2022/2023 Huron County Queen of the Furrow will be held at our Friday night banquet, which is being held on site.

Many of our plowers will also compete at other matches and go on to join Maranda in competitions at the 2022 IPM in Kemptville on Sept. 20-24. Congratulations go to all of the deserving individuals who have represented and will continue to represent Huron County well at past, present and future IPM competitions. Many championships have been won by Huron County plowers.

Please join us at our Plowing Awards Banquet on Friday night, starting at 5 p.m. with the meal being served at 5:30 p.m. This year we will be having roast beef dinner catered by Cardiff’s BBQ Catering. Advance tickets are required and you can get them from any Huron County Plowmen’s Association member.

I wish to extend a huge thank you to the many volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to make the 2022 Huron County

Plowing Match a success. We would not be able to host such a tremendous event without them. Thank you also to the numerous sponsors that support our match.

I would like to thank Brian and Annette MacKenzie and their

family, and Huron County Warden Glen McNeil for hosting this year’s match.

As planning has been under way for this year’s match, I have been reminded of the vital components involved. The association’s strength

lies with the talented plowers, committed families, industrious volunteers and supportive community that all come together year after year to make the Huron County Plowing Match a reality and one of the county’s most anticipated

events of the year, every year. Thank you again to everyone involved, and for attending. I am looking forward to a tremendous event and wish all of the competitors good luck with their ventures.

Queen of the Furrow’s address Klaver looks back at longest-ever Queen’s reign

Association is definitely alive and well.

In September, I was finally able to attend the Kirkton Fall Fair. Larry McNichol graciously drove me in his Cadillac again and we were able to see how a community can put on such a unique and tightknit fair. There truly was something for everyone there, from zucchini races for the kids to a tractor pull for all ages. I also met with our Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson.

I also attended the Seaforth Fall Fair and was asked to judge the Senior and Junior Ambassador competitions. What a full circle moment for me, as years ago I competed for those titles, was crowned in 2013 and 2015 and now in 2021 was judging and selecting the new ambassadors.

Congratulations to Kirsten McIntosh and Ava Stirling on being crowned the new Seaforth ambassadors. While fair and parade season was in full swing, next on the list was the Brussels parade. Once again driven by Larry, Ontario Queen Anna also joined me at this event.

In October, I headed north to Dungannon to help hand out ribbons at a sheep show. There were lots of happy kids, as they were finally able to showcase their hard work and sheep before the end of the year.

Christmas parade season was next. I partook in the Exeter parade for my first time and the Seaforth Santa Claus parade, which returned to its traditional format, rather than a reverse parade, so I was able to stay warm.

By Maranda Klaver 2019/2022 Huron County

Queen of the Furrow

Where do I begin? It’s hard to summarize the last three years in just a short write-up.

Everyone has the opportunity to write their own story, and my historic three-year reign was definitely a plot twist that I’ll never forget. As I take this crown off for the last time, I am fulfilled beyond measure. We are not all given the same opportunities in life, but when you embrace what life has to offer and stay humble, that seems to be when it all comes together in the end.

I made the decision to make the most of the adversity and obstacles that were in my path because they were the things that I could overcome and be stronger because of it. I am so grateful for everything that happens because I truly believe that everything does happen for a reason.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of these past three years.

This past year has probably been the closest to a normal reign for me. We were able to have an invitationonly plowing match in August of 2021, which gave plowers from Huron and Perth Counties a chance to finally get their plows out of storage and turn some dirt. It truly was something to see; so many happy faces excited to be out of quarantine, sharing stories and laughs with one another while all striking out lands.

We welcomed Ontario Queen Anna Lennox and handed out the 2017 IPM Scholarship awards this day too. We finally felt a bit of normalcy as we were one of few counties to hold a match in 2021. The Huron County Plowmen’s

We’ve been insuring farms for generations,

Thanks to Grace Hallahan’s parents and my boyfriend Will for being fantastic chauffeurs.

The Seaforth Toy and Craft Show was also able to make a comeback! I was happy to attend this event, as I am always able to get some Christmas shopping done locally, which has become important more now than ever, so thanks to the Seaforth Agricultural Society!

In December, we had our annual

general Huron County Plowmen’s Association meeting - in person again, finally. We met for dinner and were able to hand out more awards. We talked about our previous match and our upcoming one this year in St. Helens. It was so nice to get together again before Christmas and get dressed up for a change.

This year was off to a mellow

Queen of the Furrow’s address Queen reign ‘best three years’ of Klaver’s life

something has to make it unique.

Triple time

Maranda Klaver, seen above, plowing in the 2019 Huron County Plowing Match Queen of the Furrow competition, says her three-year reign in Huron, the longest in history, has been the best three years of her life. (File photo)

Continued from page 5 start, as we were back in lockdown. Unfortunately in March, the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) convention was cancelled again and moved back to being a virtual meeting. I was really hoping this event would have happened, as I have yet to meet many of the other Queens from across Ontario and it’s always a big highlight before heading to the International Plowing Match (IPM).

In May, I was able to attend the District 8 ambassador competition in Mitchell to watch fair ambassadors from across HuronPerth compete for the District 8 title. Congratulations to Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador Sean Mitchell for winning this title!

In June, I was able to present to the Huron County Council via Zoom again. After several computer and technological issues just days and hours before presenting, it all came together and I successfully got it done. Technology is great, but I am ready for in-person meetings again!

Currently, I am busy working on preparations for this year’s match. It will be something so bittersweet for me, but I truly am excited to see who will be crowned next. I have enjoyed my time recruiting, helping and making sure everything is in place for this year’s match. It almost feels unreal because we’ve waited so long for this to finally happen again.

I want to give a big thank you to Brian and Annette MacKenzie for hosting this year. Over the years as Queen, I made a list of girls to ask for this year’s Queen competition and I am super happy with the turnout for this year and especially after a three-year hiatus. I encourage everyone to come out on Aug. 18-19 and support these fantastic women as one of them will walk away with the crown and be in for a truly amazing experience. I can’t promise a pandemic won’t happen during your reign, but

In September, I will be heading to Kemptville in Grenville County, to compete for the Ontario Queen of the Furrow title at the International Plowing Match. This itself will be a big dream come true for me, as it is something I have been looking forward to for years; especially after an extended reign I think someone will need to pinch me when I finally get there. There are 15 Queens from across Ontario competing for the Ontario Queen title and after securing Brian McGavin as my plow coach, I am headed there with the best support and most amazing association behind me. I am so proud of every one of my association members and thankful to be able to be given the opportunity to represent my county at the provincial level. I promise to make Huron County proud.

I’d like to give a big shoutout to everyone who has been there for me throughout my reign. From those who have attended events with me, driven me in parades, taken my photos, answered any and all questions that I have had, thank you. Thank you Grace, for being the best Princess and sidekick and for wanting to attend events with me, we survived a pandemic together and you truly are an amazing young woman and I can’t wait to see you run for Queen in a few years. You would do an amazing job.

Thank you to my family and friends, my plowmen’s association, sponsors and friends I’ve made along the way. I have had this rare privilege of being able to pursue in my adult life, what had been my childhood dream.

Thank you everyone for the best three years of my life.

Hallahan says Princess reign was ‘one to remember’

compassionate and supportive people I have met along the way.

I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who made my role as the 2019/2022 Huron County

Princess amazing, such as Ruth Townsend, Maja Dodds, Joan Vincent, Anne-Marie and Natalie Fear, Jaden and Valerie Shortreed, Arletta Hallahan, Maranda Klaver and many more who have

supported me and allowed me to get the best out of my reign as Princess. It has been an honour to represent Huron County, and I will always remember my reign, as it certainly was one to remember.

OPA Advisory Councillor’s address Corbett welcomes all to match

By Steve Corbett Huron Advisory Councillor with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association

Welcome everyone to the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match. As Advisory Councillor for the Huron County Plowmen Association, I bring greetings from the Ontario Plowmen’s Association.

With a return to our traditional format, we have something for everyone. A highlight this year will be a demonstration of a traction engine, along with horse, antique, conventional and rollover competitive plowing. On Thursday, the Huron County 4-H Sodbusters Club will have its final practice in the morning and then have its achievement day in the afternoon. The Princess competition will also be held on Thursday.

On Friday, we have a full day planned, starting with breakfast and plowing registration. Throughout the day, exhibitors will be present. The Queen of the Furrow program will showcase many talented ladies vying for the title of Huron County Queen of the

Continued on page 8

By Grace Hallahan 2019/2022 Princess

I guess the third time’s the charm! My three-year term as the 2019/2022 Huron County Princess of the Furrow has been an amazing experience and I would not have changed anything!

It has been three years since I was presented my title, I am now handing over my crown and sash to another amazing Princess. Surprisingly enough, my time as the Princess has flown by. The past three years have taught me so much, and I have grown up in my role as a Princess. When I was crowned, I was just 14 years old and starting high school in the fall at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School, in Clinton. I was more than excited for my “one-year reign” but mostly, I was so happy that I earned an opportunity I had dreamed about since I was little. Now, after living through a worldwide pandemic, I am 17 years old and entering Grade 12 at St. Anne’s. Time sure flies when you are having fun.

My feelings are bittersweet as I hand over my crown and sash, but I am excited for all the new experiences I have to come. I am continuing my leadership abilities as Co-Prime Minister for the St. Anne’s Student Cabinet this fall. I will surely use the skills I have learned as the Princess to lead my classmates into the next school year.

Despite my role being limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had the pleasure of attending numerous events, fall fairs, Huron County Plowmen’s Association meetings and many parades. I have had so much fun with Huron County Queen of the Furrow Maranda Klaver. Attending these events, I remember all the

Plowing

Past-president looks ahead to upcoming IPMs

Thank you to the individuals who have helped the OPA reach over 100 International Plowing Matches, and welcome to new faces joining or rejoining future efforts.

I would like to invite you to join us at Kemptville on Sept. 20-24, for the North Grenville International Plowing Match and Rural Expo 2022.

For more information visit: https://www.plowingmatch.org/ ipm2022/

A special thank you goes to the committed volunteers working to make the Huron County Plowing Match a success. The community is what makes these matches so

interesting and successful and your presence and support of the match makes the annual experience so memorable.

I look forward to seeing everyone at Amalgamation Acres on Aug. 1819 for the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match.

Continued from page 7

Furrow. The winner will compete at the 2023 International Plowing Match (IPM) being held in Dufferin County. The crowning will take place during the banquet on Friday.

In September, plan on joining us at Leeds Grenville for IPM 2022 to support our local competitors and Maranda Klaver as she competes to

be the provincial Queen of the Furrow.

Finally, in 2024 we will get the plowing match to Lindsay.

I hope to see you at our county match and many other local counties as we try to return to a normal season. Best of luck to all competitors. See you in Kemptville in September!

By Margaret Vincent Ontario Plowmen’s Association

Second Vice-President and Zone 3 Director

Congratulations to the Huron County Plowmen’s Association on hosting its 94th annual Huron County Plowing Match this Aug. 18 and 19!

Since March of 2019, I have had the opportunity to represent the Huron, Bruce, Grey Bentinck, Grey Keppel-Sarawak, Grey Normanby, Grey North, and Perth Plowing Associations to the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) as the Zone 3 Director.

The OPA has seen both successes and challenges through the last few years, especially during these unprecedented times. In addition to seeing new faces around the board

table, and facing difficult decisions, the OPA continues to work on future International Plowing Match and Rural Expos.

Stay tuned for more details on plans for the 2023 match in the Dufferin area, and the 2024 match in the Kawartha Lakes region.

2022 Plowing Match will be

He says he couldn’t have done it without his fantastic group of volunteers and others who have been involved with the association for decades. The group does really function as a team and he says the work they’ve all done to help get to where they are today has been crucial.

As for the site, he says Brian and Annette MacKenzie’s Amalgamation Acres farm in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh is a beautiful and unique location for the match. He said that Margaret Vincent, the past-president of the Huron County Plowmen’s Association, first recommended the site years ago. Margaret and Annette are cousins, Wiersma said, and Margaret put the site forward several years ago, but the timing didn’t match up for the MacKenzies and the association had to move on to other options. So, Wiersma says he’s happy the association was able to return to Amalgamation Acres and to welcome people to the site.

In addition to the beautiful location, Wiersma says the MacKenzies will also be bringing some unique elements to the match at their home. There will be horsedrawn wagon rides from the main site to the plowing fields, as well as an opportunity to learn more about their steam-based maple syrup operation, Legacy Maple, and steam engine plowing demonstrations, courtesy of Brian and Annette and Annette’s father Bill Vincent. Those elements alone should make the match unique and interesting for many in the county and beyond.

A long-time volunteer, Wiersma had dedicated his spare time to helping out at his local church, the Optimist Club and as a member of a men’s choir. However, after a number of years, he was looking for a different way to give back to the community. Brian McGavin, a long-time member of the local plowing match community, directed him to the Huron Plowmen’s Association, saying they were

always looking for more help from dedicated volunteers.

After attending a few meetings, Wiersma became more involved. He became a director several years ago when the Fear family hosted on their farm between Belgrave and Brussels. This was after, however, McGavin encouraged Wiersma to try his hand at competitive plowing a handful of times at the matches. He hadn’t done it as a kid, other than for work on the farm, and he said it was a great experience. Competitive plowing and plowing on the farm, he said, are completely different, so learning how to compete in a plowing match really opened his eyes.

In his first year as the president, Wiersma was forced to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and make the unfortunate decision of having to cancel the 2020 Huron County Plowing Match. While it was disappointing, he said, it was inevitable, given the state of the pandemic in the province at the

By Shawn Loughlin

Huron County Plowmen’s Association President Brian Wiersma says he really is at a loss for words when talking about this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, which will include all of the traditional elements of a match that had to be eliminated in past years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He says that he and the rest of the association’s executive really began to think they could return to a traditional match this year in about March or so. He said they all knew they would have to remain flexible and tackle certain logistical challenges, but that there was a feeling of excitement when that

possibility took hold after having to cancel the 2020 match and hosting a scaled-down, invitation-only match in 2021.

Wiersma took over the presidency at an interesting time, not knowing, of course, that the COVID-19 pandemic was waiting around the corner. So, in 2022, he’s happy to be hosting a match the way it was meant to be held, welcoming all visitors and competitors, hosting the Princess and Queen of the Furrow competitions and culminating in the awards banquet and gala dinner. He says it was nice to be able to host an event in 2021, even if it was on a smaller scale and only open to a handful of competitors, but this year will make for a great two days.

Brian Wiersma President of the Huron County Plowmen’s Association

The Citizen

Local Olympian to address Queen contestants

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Lucknow-based Olympian JulieAnne Staehli will be a special guest of this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, most importantly hosting a special question-andanswer session with the Queen of the Furrow contestants.

The Huron County Plowmen’s Association always brings in a guest speaker for the contestants ahead of the speeches and competition, so this year, organizer Joan Vincent said she was quite pleased to welcome Julie-Anne, the region’s newest Olympian to be part of the event, which is being held not far from where she grew up.

Inspiration

Julie-Anne Staehli of Lucknow represented her country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 5,000-metre race. This week, she will have a special question-and-answer session with this year’s Queen of the Furrow contestants. (Courtesy photo)

Julie-Anne is a Canadian Olympian and professional athlete representing Team Canada and Team New Balance Boston. From the small town of Lucknow, JulieAnne grew up running on the back roads around her home throughout elementary and high school before she moved to Kingston to run and study at Queen’s University. JulieAnne made her first national team in 2014, and became the first fivetime All-Canadian in Queen’s history, while completing her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health Studies.

Julie-Anne relocated to London in 2018 to train and earn her

Wiersma happy to host

Continued from page 9 time and it was essential that the organization put the health of its volunteers, members and plowing match participants first.

Now, he says he’s happy to be able to host his first match in the way they’ve always meant to be held. He also reflects back on his time as the president, thinking that really it all comes down to teamwork and all he has been able to accomplish thanks to the hard work and perseverance of the rest of the association’s members and the volunteers who work so hard to make the match a reality.

As for this year’s match, Wiersma just really wants people to leave happy with smiles on their faces. It

represents a great opportunity to reconnect with the community or meet new people and because people have been starved for largescale public events for so long, he hopes this match will hold a special place in people’s hearts, helping bring them back into Huron County life as it was before March of 2020.

The Huron County Plowing Match is set for Thursday, Aug. 18 and Friday, Aug. 19, hosted by Brian and Annette MacKenzie at their Amalgamation Acres farm at 85399 St. Helens Line, just south of St. Helens. Thursday is Junior Day, featuring the Huron County Sodbusters 4-H Club’s achievement day and the Princess competition,

while Friday is the main day of competition for plowers and the Queen of the Furrow competition. The plowing awards will be handed out that night at the awards gala and banquet dinner and a new Queen of the Furrow will be crowned that night for the first time in three years.

teaching degree at the University of Western Ontario. Julie-Anne had a breakthrough season in 2021 and made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the 5,000-metre race. She went on to make the 2022 World Indoor

Championships in Belgrade and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Now based in Boston, Julie-Anne trains under her coach, Mark Coogan, working towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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Best

MacKenzies to host plowing match near St. Helens

Come together

Brian and Annette MacKenzie and their family are getting ready to host the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match at their St. Helens-area farm, Amalgamation Acres. The family farm is one of several that the two owned before they were wed and were brought under the same banner, leading to the unique name. (Denny

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Brian and Annette MacKenzie are offering up one of their family farms for the Huron County Plowing Match this year at Amalgamation Acres, the site which includes their family maple business, Legacy Maple.

The couple, alongside their adult children, is opening the farm to the celebration of plowing and agriculture despite having no real connection to competitive plowing, aside from Annette having attended a plowing match or two over the years.

The couple decided to host the event after discussing the issue with a neighbour, Barb Snowden. That, paired with discussions about hosting with Huron County Plowmen's Association President Brian Wiersma and Ontario Federation of Agriculture Member Service Representative Margaret Vincent earlier this year, led to the MacKenzies wanting to host the event. The drive, they said, was to bring the event to St. Helens and show off the community.

The match will also serve as a chance for the family to show off some antique farm equipment, specifically steam engines. When Brian and Annette first took on the role, they weren’t sure what they were responsible for on the day of the match, but once they were told they were only required to be on hand for some appearances and to greet people, they decided they wanted to bring some of their family engines out to show off.

While there are some questions as to what exactly will be at the grounds, the family is looking forward to doing some plowing with a 1912 M. Rumely Co. 20 horsepower rear-mounted steam engine and a Cockshutt Western Plow, the latter of which is owned by Charlie Roadhouse.

“There will also be other engines and boilers for display purposes, but not plowing,” Annette said, adding there will be a portable steam engine, the kind that would

be pulled by horses, on display, which is very rare, and could be the only one of its kind in Canada.

The 1912 M. Rumely steam engine is also rare, Annette said, as it is a twin-cylinder model.

More steam power will also be on display at the sugar shack, which is operated through a steam engine.

The couple is also excited that two horse-drawn wagons will be available for portions of the plowing match, offering a unique way to travel around the farm and fields.

Annette will be doing her best to shine a light on St. Helens with a display on the history of the community and also highlight some of the local, small businesses that people may not even know exist. She said that, with all the different opportunities in the area, there are a number of hidden gems she wants to highlight.

It worked out to host the event on the home farm as wheat had just gone into a field close by when the decision was made, Brian said, and there is infrastructure at the farm that will make the event possible.

An equipment shed will serve as a home for events like the Princess competition and the gala dinner, the two said, while a nearby trail will take visitors from the home and shed to the fields by way of the sugar shack used for maple production. The two said people being able to go by and visit the shack should make for a unique addition to the event.

The MacKenzies are looking forward to inviting friends and family to the event, some of whom will be camping to take it all in.

As far as the farm name, Amalgamation Acres, Annette explained that both she and Brian

Scott photo)

MacKenzies use steam power for their Legacy Maple

Steam syrup

Brian and Annette MacKenzie, who are hosting the Huron County Plowing Match this year, also run Legacy Maple, a maple syrup-focused farmgate business that uses an antique 1926 Sawyer Massey boiler to provide the heat needed to boil sap. The boiler belongs to on Annette’s father, Bill Vincent, not shown. The sugar shack is on the path that crosses the bush between the family farm and the fields where the plowing will take place at the home farm of the MacKenzies. (File photo)

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot The Rural Voice

The following story was published in the March, 2020 issue of The Rural Voice . Editor Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot sat down with Brian and Annette MacKenzie, hosts of this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, and Annette’s father, Bill Vincent, to discuss their unique maple syrup venture, Legacy Maple.

A piece of history is powering a new crop of maple syrup thanks to inventive minds at Legacy Maple in St. Helens.

Brian and Annette MacKenzie, along with Annette’s dad, Bill Vincent, have combined their skill sets to pair old with new. Using Bill’s skill and knowledge of steam

Farmgate store open

Continued from page 12 are now on their second marriage, and when they were wed they each brought a number of properties together, as well as buying some, and amalgamated them into a family farm business.

“It’s mine and hers and all ours,” Brian said.

The name was Annette’s idea, Brian said, as she felt it put a good spin on amalgamation, a term that is sometimes maligned thanks to the political realities of the day that changed the Huron County landscape. The farms were also in several different townships prior to municipal amalgamation in 2001.

Aside from crops and maple products, the MacKenzies have a store on the farm from which they sell their own products, including freezer meats and handmade items. It will be open the day of the match, Annette said.

engines, Brian and Annette have created a historic and reliable heating system to boil sap at their 1,500-tap maple syrup operation.

The pair has found the 1926 Sawyer Massey steam engine boiler delivers steady steam to heat the evaporator, preventing any dirt or ash from getting into the finished product. Most maple syrup producers use a fired arch under the evaporator to boil the sap.

“The fire stays in the boiler’s firebox and the steam runs into tubes to heat the sap and make syrup,” explains Annette, who grew up with her dad restoring antique steam engines and showing these historic relics at steam shows across the province.

It was Bill who first suggested the

idea of using a steam engine boiler when the couple decided to make their crop farm a four-season enterprise.

“My dad is a manufacturer. When Brian wonders if something can work, my dad goes home, sits in his chair and gets out a paper and pencil. The next morning, he’ll come by and say ‘I think we can make this work,’” Annette said.

Handy himself, Brian says Bill has been a tremendous asset to the business, not only because installing the boiler was his brainchild, but also because he has the licence to run it. In turn, Bill finds deep satisfaction helping family and getting to be part of a growing enterprise. He also enjoys the social

Continued on page 14

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Maple syrup operation represents family history

Making it work

Continued from page 13 aspect of farmgate sales.

Brian’s father also played an indirect role in the establishment of Legacy Maple. When Brian was a child, his dad built him an evaporator to make maple syrup. This good memory prompted him to want to recreate it when he and Annette married in 2010. With four children between them, the couple decided it would be a fun and educational project to make maple syrup, collecting sap in pails and evaporating it over an open fire.

That first year they did 50 pails. The next year it was 100 pails and so on until 2017 when Bill brought over his 1926 Sawyer Massey steam engine to run a newly-acquired evaporator. That tractor (with a replacement boiler) is still at the farm. It seemed the family was hooked and in 2018, they made the decision to turn the hobby into a business. They modernized the entire operation with a vacuum pipeline, a reverse osmosis system (to remove water from sap) and a new sugar shack with easy-to-clean walls and lots of room to create product.

The family now runs 1,500 taps in 30 acres of hardwood maple and hopes to expand to 3,000 taps next year by tapping the other 30 acres of bush on their property. They average about one litre of syrup per tap.

The best part of using steam to heat the evaporator is the consistent heat. The boiler runs at 100 pounds of pressure to create 337.6ºF of steam heat. Sap turns to syrup at 218ºF.

Bill says while boilers can be dangerous because they are a pressure vessel, the key is to pay

attention to the glass gauge at the end of the boiler which indicates the water level. “The water level is critical,” says Bill. “The boiler does

have a safety valve which releases at 125 pounds of pressure.” With the combination of the

Where the magic happens

CALL

43479 Blyth Road (R.R. #1) Walton, ON N0K 1Z0 E-Mail: kmmfarmdrainage@outlook.com

Bill Vincent, Annette MacKenzie’s father, was instrumental in getting the 1926 Sawyer Massey boiler to work with the maple syrup production at the MacKenzie farm. (File photo)

Match’s strength is youth opportunity: McNeil

Host with the most

Huron County Warden Glen McNeil, centre, is again playing ceremonial host at this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, which will be held in his home municipality of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. He is seen above at 2021’s invitation-only match. From left: Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn, Ontario Queen of the Furrow Anna Lennox of GreyNormanby, McNeil and Huron Queen of the Furrow Maranda Klaver. Kneeling, fixing a plow, is George Townsend. (File photo)

Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Officially hosting the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match are Brian and Annette MacKenzie at their Amalgamation Acres farm. On a higher level, Huron County Warden and Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Mayor Glen McNeil is also playing the role of co-host, welcoming competitors and patrons alike to his home municipality for the first traditional, “back to normal” match in three years.

McNeil co-hosted last year’s match as the warden with Ross and Barbara McIntosh and Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn and McNeil says this year’s match represents so much to him with people being eager to connect socially again after two-and-a-half years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

McNeil says that when he thinks of the Huron County Plowing Match, the first thing that comes to mind for him are the opportunities it makes available for the youth of the county. Whether it’s young plowers in the Sodbusters 4-H Club or contestants in the Queen of the Furrow and Princess competitions, he said the match is unparalleled in developing the county’s young people and giving them a chance to shine.

Over the years, McNeil has seen young participants start in Huron County and work their way up to national success, like Blyth’s Luke Townsend, and others give speeches in hopes of becoming the next Princess or Queen of the Furrow, only to go on to lead extraordinary lives, putting the skills they learned along the way to use in their everyday lives. The development of the county’s youth at the match, he said, really is second to none.

McNeil said the plowing match has always highlighted the importance of agriculture in Huron County and this year’s match is no exception.

He said the county’s agricultural productivity, thanks to its amazing soil and proximity to Lake Huron, makes it a special place to live for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its agricultural value.

McNeil says he and his wife

Vanda have been long-time supporters of the plowing match. In fact, they were very involved with the 1999 International Plowing Match, creating a notable produce display that turned out to be one of the highlights of the match for many who attended.

With a return to a more traditional match, which is open to all and includes the Queen of the Furrow and Princess competitions, as well as the awards banquet, all of which were scrapped at last year’s invitation-only match for safety reasons related to the pandemic,

McNeil expects a great attendance at this year’s match. People are naturally drawn to social interaction, he said, and they’ve been missing it in recent years, so the match will provide an opportunity for people to see old friends, meet new friends and take in one of the county’s most important events.

He said he’ll always be proud to host the match in Huron County, but after hosting last year in Central Huron, he said he’s particularly

proud to be welcoming the match to his home municipality of AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh. The MacKenzies, he said, will make for excellent hosts and their site is a great opportunity to show off the beauty of the community, especially due to its proximity to some of the county’s richest Amish and Mennonite communities.

McNeil says he has had the event circled on his calendar for months. He’ll be attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference earlier in the week in Ottawa, but will be back in Huron County so he can attend both days. While the schedule is heaviest on Friday, Aug. 19, he says the Junior Day on Aug. 18 is so important and he wants to make sure he’s there.

He says the event is sure to be wonderful, with a great attendance, and he congratulated the Huron County Plowmen’s Association and all its volunteers on their hard work and perseverance in hosting the match and working their way through the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019: the last Plowing Match before the pandemic

Plowing, princesses and ‘Ponies’

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, the last time the Huron County Plowmen’s Association was able to host a full plowing match, including the Princess and Queen of the Furrow competitions, a gala dinner and, of course, plowing, was 2019. Clockwise from top left: The outgoing Queen of the Furrow Loretta Higgins, right, poses with incoming Queen Maranda Klaver, centre, and Princess Grace Hallahan who both ended up reigning for far longer than their scheduled one-year terms; Huron County Queen of the Furrow contestant Luanne McGregor, who has thrown her hat in again this year, eyeing up her lands and a competitor trying a horse-drawn plow during the match. (File photo)

2021 plowing match kept the core activities going

Focused

While the event brought out a few special spectators, like Ontario Queen of the Furrow for 2020-2021 Anna Lennox of Grey-Normanby, above at left, the 2021 Huron County Plowing Match was actually a private event due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Clockwise from top left: Lennox takes in some plowing with Huron County Warden Glen McNeil, centre, and Huron County Plowmen’s Association Past-President Margaret Vincent; plowers take to the field during the match and Paul Dodds steps into his father Don’s shoes to realize the tough decisions judges have to make during a match. (File photos)

Host families make the plowing match possible

Your hosts

The Huron County Plowing Match couldn’t go ahead year after year without hosts. Shown are some of the families who have opened their farms to the event over the past decade. Clockwise from top left: the Fear family, who hosted in 2016 at their MorrisTurnberry farm, includes, from left, Anna, Andrew, Ann Marie, Paul, Natalie and Darcy with the family dog Duke; Brenda and Ken Dalton, who hosted in 2012 at their Huron East farm; the McIntosh family, who hosted in 2021 on their Central Huron farm, including, from left, Barbara, Dugald, Kristen and Ross; Anita and Ray Dykstra, who hosted in 2019 at their Howick-area farm; Stephen Thompson and Teri Pearson, who hosted in 2018 at their Central Huron farm and the Shortreeds, who hosted in 2014, including, from left, Julie, Connor, Matt and Val who hosted at their Huron East farm. (File photos)

Five to vie for Huron County Princess title

Earlier this year, McInnes completed a three-year run as the Elementary School Fair Ambassador, exceeding the normal one-year term due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fit for a Princess

Grace Hallahan, left, will complete her record-setting tenure as Huron County Princess this week when someone new wins the crown. Five young women have stepped forward as contestants, with one to be crowned the 2022/2023 Princess. From left: Hallahan, Madison Bernard, Jillian Shortreed and Lillian Oakes. Absent were Bryn McInnes and Jessica Toll. (Denny Scott photo)

On Thursday, Aug. 18, five young women will be vying for the title of Princess of the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match.

Lillian is an animal lover, an avid reader and artist. She loves being outdoors and visiting the library as much as possible. She is also a member of her school’s environmental club.

Toll-Gate Clydesdales, Blyth.

The Central Huron Secondary School student enjoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as playing softball and broomball.

Her interests involve a lot of hands-on activities, like helping out in the family’s horse barn. She is also involved in several school sports, as well as her school’s student council.

In the years to come, Jessica hopes to work in the healthcare field.

Madison Bernard

Madison Bernard is the 16-yearold daughter of Rachel and Mike Bernard of RR4, Brussels.

She attends F.E. Madill School in Wingham and enjoys playing a variety of sports, including basketball, volleyball, baseball, hockey and track and field. When she’s not playing sports, she can be found working in the pig barn, driving tractors in the field or looking after her cattle.

Jillian

Jillian Shortreed of RR3, Walton is the daughter of Jim and Valerie Shortreed.

A student at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, Jillian will be entering Grade 12 in the fall. Jillian also works part-time at Tim Hortons and her hobbies include playing baseball, dirt biking and interior design.

Bryn McInnes

Bryn McInnes is the 13-year-old daughter of Mary and Bruce McInnes of Wingham. She will be entering Grade 8 at Sacred Heart School in Wingham in the fall.

Bryn works as a babysitter and is active in her community when it comes to dance, soccer and other volunteering. She also likes to draw and sing.

The Princess contestants will be on the main stage with the judges at 1 p.m. on Thursday speaking to the audience. The winner will be taking over for Grace Hallahan, who is the longest-serving Princess in Huron County Plowing Match history. She was crowned in the summer of 2019 and stayed in the position until 2022, due to cancelled competitions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She

Lillian Oakes

Lillian Oakes is the 12-year-old daughter of Kerry Beyersbergen and Mike Oakes.

will be returning to school in the fall, starting Grade 7.

Jessica Toll Jessica Toll of RR3, Blyth is the 15-year-old daughter of Heather Pickett, Clinton, and Greg Toll of

Shortreed

MacKenzies’ steam-powered syrup ‘a piece of history’

then I’d hear a woodpecker repeat the sound. That was something.”

Brian also loves the social aspect of farmgate sales from their maple syrup operation. “We have worked really hard to build and design this place so I’m really stoked when people come to see it,” he says.

Before the sap starts running, he is keen to install a train whistle on the outside of the sugar shack. Run by the steam engine boiler, the old train whistle emits a loud, deep, chord of sound. He can’t wait to get it up and running for customers visiting the farm at St. Helens Line.

The proof is in the syrup

Continued from page 14 reverse osmosis system and consistent steam heat produced by the boiler, sap turns to syrup in less than two hours.

While costly to establish, the labour savings over using pails and boiling are significant says Annette of the efficient system.

Still, managing 1,500 taps and producing syrup in a two-month window makes for some long days. Bill and Brian do most of the boiling while Annette, an accountant, manages the books and marketing.

She chose to bottle the amberhued syrup in tall, angular, glass bottles and has found that people like to give them as gifts. Annette also attends farmers’ markets and threshing events to sell.

“I think with the steam engine, we have a niche and I would love to target steam shows to sell our syrup,” says Annette. Her dad has a one-third-scale working steam engine that would be a real draw for customers.

Last year, Legacy Maple was part of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association (OMSPA) tour. They ran water through the system to show how the boiler works in their syrup production system.

Being a member of OMSPA has been a huge help, says Annette. “Networking at member meetings and summer tours has been invaluable, as well as the paper and online resources that are available to us.”

Annette says syrup producers as a whole are a very courteous group of people. “They are always willing to answer questions and share the lessons they have learned from their own mistakes. This is an ‘always learning’ adventure. Producers who have been syruping for years say they still learn something new every season, because every operation is a little different.”

As they learn and grow, Brian and Annette hope to do the same as well as offer more tours, especially to school children. “I really want

people to come and see the boiler and see our operation,” says Brian.

“It really means something. It’s history; a piece of history that is still running.”

Annette agrees. “It’s part of our heritage. The boiler is an old innovation that was high-tech back in the day. It’s nice that we can keep this bit of history alive and can encourage the next generation to appreciate it.” In fact, this original boiler is from the last Sawyer Massey steam traction engine made in Hamilton in 1926.

Besides cropping and producing maple syrup, Brian has his own construction company. Vacation time is hard to find, but there is something about working in the woods that brings calmness to the days.

“Last year was the first time I spent a lot of time tapping,” recalls Annette. “I found I really liked being

in the bush. It’s relaxing; calming. Last year I would tap, tap, tap and

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Annette and Brian MacKenzie, hosts of the Huron County 2022 Plowing Match, have a unique sugar shack for their maple syrup company Legacy Maple. The operation depends on a 1926 Sawyer Massey boiler to produce its popular products. (File photo)

Nine hope to earn Queen of the Furrow crown

She is currently working as an early childhood educator.

Marie McGregor of RR2, Kippen.

She last attended school at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton and in the future she would like to continue to advance in her career as a Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) representative and become a sales representative one day.

page 21 for

on the rest of this year’s Huron County Queen of the Furrow contestants

Turning the page

Maranda Klaver, front left, has spent three years as the Huron County Queen of the Furrow, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this week she will pass that honour off to one of nine contestants vying for the crown. Back row, from left: Sydonie Penkauskas, Alexis Hoste, Lauren Bos, Alycia Coultes and Olivia Schefter. Front row, from left: Klaver, Kiara Driscoll, Luanne McGregor and Mackenzie Terpstra. Absent was Kaitlyn Kamrath. (Denny Scott photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Nine young women have put their names forward in hopes of being the 2022 Huron County Queen of the Furrow. This is the largest field for one of the Huron County Plowmen’s Association’s top positions in recent memory.

On Friday, Aug. 19, Maranda Klaver will hand over the crown she has held for three years as the longest-serving Queen of the Furrow in Huron County history. She has held the title since being crowned in August of 2019, retaining it during 2020 and 2021 when no further competitions were held as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Queen of the Furrow contestants will take to the stage at 1 p.m. on Aug. 19. The winner will be crowned that night as part of the annual banquet and gala dinner,

where the event’s plowing awards will also be handed out.

and music and her plans for the future include returning to college or university to finish her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in hopes of attending teachers’ college one day.

Kaitlyn Kamrath

Kaitlyn Emma Kamrath is the 22year-old daughter of Laura Pottruff of Gorrie and the granddaughter of Les and Sue Pottruff. She attended London’s Fanshawe College from 2019 to 2021. Her hobbies are running, reading

Luanne McGregor Luanne McGregor is the daughter of Steve and Anne

This year’s Queen field is the largest in years

University of Guelph and she hopes to continue working to finish her undergraduate degree and attend veterinary school so she can become a large animal veterinarian.

daughter of Tricia Penkauskas of Fordwich.

She most recently attended Norwell District Secondary School and hopes to own her own farm one day.

Mackenzie Terpstra

Alycia Coultes

Alycia Coultes of Cardiff Road, Brussels, is the daughter of Paul and Kim Coultes.

She most recently attended F.E. Madill School in Wingham and hopes to attend Lakeland College in Alberta in the fall to study animal science.

In the future, Alycia hopes to represent women in agriculture and agricultural sales with plans to work in the cattle industry in the future.

Kiara Driscoll

Kiara Driscoll is the daughter of Ben Driscoll and Crystal White of Seaforth.

She most recently attended the University of Guelph and she hopes to finish her undergraduate degree and pursue a master’s degree in agriculture in the future.

Olivia Schefter

Olivia Schefter of Clinton is the daughter of Daniel and Marlene Schefter. She most recently attended London’s Fanshawe College, studying recreation and leisure studies, and hopes to expand her photography business into a fulltime job in the future.

Lauren Bos

Lauren Bos of Blyth is the daughter of John and Tina Bos.

She just finished her second term at Conestoga College, earning her electrical apprenticeship with the goal of becoming a fully-licenced electrician and taking over the family farm.

Mackenzie Terpstra is the daughter of Jason and Michelle Terpstra of McNaught Line, Brussels.

She is attending the University of Guelph, in her third year of the animal science program. Mackenzie hopes to graduate from university and then see where life takes her.

Alexis Hoste

Alexis Hoste of RR5, Seaforth, is the daughter of Cherry and Paul Hoste.

She most recently attended the

Sydonie Penkauskas

Sydonie Penkauskas is the

Townsend captures second national silver championship

May 6 of this year, marks the pinnacle of the plowing competition for the junior division, meaning Townsend’s second-place finish puts him in rare company. This is the second time he’s claimed the prize, though not consecutively due to COVID-19 resulting in the cancellation of previous national competitions.

The competition was a difficult one, Townsend said, as he had little time to practise. He spent two days practising before he travelled west for the competition, then had two days to practise in Manitoba before the competition. The short timeframe didn’t phase him, however, as he said he felt good and, on top of that, most of the other contestants were in the same boat.

This was Townsend’s last year as a junior and he plans on trying his hand at the senior class next year, which could offer him the chance to compete at the World Ploughing Championships in the future.

Townsend thanked his family for the effort put forward in not only getting him to the competition, but for the efforts leading up to it as well.

Podium finish

After winning at the Huron County Plowing Match and the International Plowing Match, Luke Townsend competed for the national top spot in the junior category this year, finishing second. (File photo)

All in the details

Blyth’s Luke Townsend now has two silver-medal finishes at the Canadian Plowing Championships in the junior division. He plans on continuing to compete next year in the senior class, which could offer him a chance at the World Ploughing Championships. He is shown above making some adjustments during the 2021 Huron County Plowing Match. (File photo)

By

Blyth’s Luke Townsend captured the second-place prize at the

national plowing competition for the second time in what is now his last year in the junior division. The competition, which was held in Rivers, Manitoba from May 2 to

We continuously work to promote and protect our Huron County farmers and their families and our rural communities.

Denny Scott The Citizen

Technology, volunteer efforts help fields recover

example, Dodds discussed crop rotations with the owners of the farms involved to have the right inputs and have the land ready, but for the local plowing match, it’s more finding a field with the right crop in it as those lands are only used for plowing.

“As long as people can plow them and they aren’t flooded, the field will work,” he said.

For the local match, facilities like water and electricity are needed, as well as an indoor space, typically a driving or equipment shed, that can be used for speeches and the Princess and Queen of the Furrow competitions and the gala dinner.

When it comes to the fields, Dodds said that the first priority of the organizers of the plowing match

Eyeing up the crown

Whether it’s the senior and specialty classes on Friday or the Junior Achievement Day on Thursday for the local Sodbusters 4-H Club, there’s plenty of plowing scheduled for the 2022 Huron County Plowing Match. (File photo)

By Denny Scott

The Citizen

Many people may wonder just how lands can recover after an event like the International Plowing Match or even the Huron County Plowing Match. The answer is part modern technology and part planning.

Paul Dodds, who has operated as the Huron County Plowmen’s Association’s land co-ordinator for a number of years, often plays a pivotal role in helping to choose the site for the year’s match. He said that a lot of planning goes into avoiding situations like the infamous 1966

IPM “Mud” Match, which saw farmers finding boots in their fields decades after the event.

He said that when sites are considered, the match organizers look for sites that are properly drained and can handle the weather, even the intense rain that plagued the opening day of the International Plowing Match (IPM) in Walton in 2017.

“The fields for the tented city and the trailers are done in hay because they provide a firmer base than other crops and can stand the moisture,” Dodds said. “The parking fields are done in hay or wheat stubble, again,

to stand up to the moisture.”

The right crop is important, but advancements in drainage also help, Dodds said.

“The fields nowadays are able to handle moisture better than they have been in the past, so it’s not as big a worry as it has been.

“We’re just looking for parking and plowing,” he said. “There isn’t the same demand [between a local match and an IPM] because of the scale and because there isn’t the same repetitive traffic over the same areas. Really, all we need is someone with the right crops to say yes.”

Leading into the 2017 IPM, for

is always land stewardship, which means that if it comes to a choice between caring for the land or running the event, the land always has to come first.

That was made clear when the IPM committee decided to cancel on-site events for one day after a significant rain hit the Walton-area farm of the Ryan family that served as the grounds for the tented city at the 2017 IPM.

Dodds said that how the fields recovered is proof of how resilient the land is and how there is little lasting impact from hosting events like the plowing match.

The land is also cared for after the event, with volunteers helping to fill the furrows created by the plowing and restoring the land as best they can.

Sodbusters 4-H Club offers time in the field

While the experience is an asset, McGavin said one of the biggest reasons the trio works is because each has their own expertise. Dodds is a long-time plowing judge, meaning he can not only teach judging well, but teach the members what judges are looking for when it comes time to plow competitively. Veldman is adept at administration, he said, and helps keep the club on its toes, while McGavin has experience with the machinery through his own plowing and through his time at his family’s business, McGavin Farm Equipment, now partnered with Robert’s Farm Equipment.

The club started meeting last month, with plans to meet once a week until achievement day, which

counts as their last meeting, McGavin said.

“The first meeting wasn’t in a field, and focused on teaching the parts of the plow before we got the members into the fields,” McGavin said. “Then, as a general rule, we try to host meetings across the county, starting away from the site of the plowing match.”

He said the goal is to get the members on the tractors as soon as possible because it lets them learn quickly and follow the 4-H motto which is to learn to do by doing.

The condensed schedule has been a benefit in that aspect, Veldman said, as the wheat is off the fields now, providing opportunities for members to get out into the fields

Continued on page 25

Finishing up

Aside from the hands-on experiences offered by local 4-H clubs, there’s also some paperwork that needs to be done. While some groups may do that in a classroom, the local 4-H Sodbusters Club puts an emphasis on getting its members out and in the field, even if it means using a tractor as a desk to fill out those final assignments for the club just before achievement day. (File photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Huron County 4-H Sodbusters Club will once again be taking to the fields of the county to learn all about competitive plowing and judging just in time for their achievement day on Thursday, August 18.

Run by leaders Brian McGavin, Melissa Veldman and Don Dodds, the club has 10 members this year, including some returning members, and their work began last month with a slightly condensed schedule to be ready for the match. Normally, the club meets for months before the match, but this year it will be

just over a month between the first meeting and the achievement day.

McGavin said the club’s numbers aren’t as high as they have been in the past, but that the club has gained new members organically with returning or even previous members encouraging family and friends to try out the activity. He said that having 10 members represents a manageable number of members for the club, as trying to keep up with more, and provide plows and tractors where necessary, can be a challenging task with larger numbers.

Between the three club leaders they have nearly 100 years of

experience, McGavin said. While Veldman recently joined, McGavin has been volunteering for nearly 42 years, having first started as a member before becoming a leader, while Dodds has more than five decades of experience under his belt.

Condensed schedule focuses on hands-on work

Continued from page 24 quickly, which members enjoy.

“They really want to learn how to plow and it’s nice that we can do it that way,” she said.

The condensed season also plays well in August, she said, as earlier in the summer, club meetings can clash with sports or family vacations, but by having it limited to late July and August, there are fewer complications.

The condensed schedule also helps members figure out if they want to be a part of the Sodbusters Club. Veldman said it can be a fairly heavy investment, and having meetings close together really helps members decide if they like plowing enough to borrow or buy the necessary equipment. Fortunately, she said, many people don’t need to buy the equipment themselves, saying that there are many community members, previous club members and families who will make equipment available for Sodbuster Club members.

For years like 2022, when the match is in the northern part of Huron County, the club starts with meetings in fields in the south of the county and moves its way north. When the match is held in the south, the club starts in the north.

The club’s scoring is based on four different criteria, McGavin said: judging, plowing, participation and attendance.

While they only need to be present on achievement day to finish out their club duties, McGavin said all the members had agreed to stay around to help coach the contestants for the Queen of the Furrow competition. The potential Queens have to take to the field for some plowing during the plowing match, which some of them have never done. Having an experienced hand to guide them can make all the difference.

For more information on the Sodbusters Club, contact McGavin at McGavin Farm Equipment in Walton.

at home

While

Fun and learning

The 4-H Sodbusters Club, alongside family and friends, provide an opportunity for young people to learn about plowing and judging. (File photo)

Three Huron Queens have represented provincially

plowing conditions were nearly ideal despite the rain.

After being Queen, Beccario went on to become a secondary school teacher in the Niagara Peninsula. She married David Beccario and had two children, Brian and Sarah.

Godkin was named Queen for the 1985 International Plowing Match and said she really enjoyed her year with the crown.

“It was a blast,” she said. “It was the best year ever.”

Godkin explained that, when she won, the OPA purchased a car for the winner.

“I got a red Ford Escort and, for the year, the OPA paid insurance and mileage, but the car was mine to keep,” she said. “They did that for two more years then went to leasing

the vehicle for the year.”

She said, being 20 years old at the time, the car was a huge development in her life.

The vehicle came with magnetic stickers telling everyone who she was and also provided her with her first important lesson about being the Queen.

“In the very first parade, I sat on the hood of the car with a blanket,”  she said.

“I was slipping and sliding all over the hood and having trouble hanging on. That was the first thing I learned was how important it was to hang on to the windshield wipers to make sure you stay on the hood,” she said with a laugh.

The car took her all over the

Representing Huron County

Lynne Godkin, then Dodds, above, is one of three women to have won the Huron County Queen of the Furrow competition and went on to claim the provincial title as well at the next year’s International Plowing Match. Godkin was the 1984/1985 Queen. The first Huron Queen to win the provincial crown was Amy Beccario, then Stewart, in 1966/1967, and Melissa Veldman, then Sparling, is the most recent, reigning in 2010.

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A significant aspect of the annual International Plowing Match (IPM)  is the Queen of the Furrow Competition which, for more than half a century, has recognized the efforts of Queens from local plowing matches.

The competition selects one of the local representatives to represent the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) for the year to come.

In the history of the IPM, Huron County has had three Queens ascend to the rank of provincial Queen; the late Amy Beccario (née Stewart) who reigned in 1966-67, Lynne Godkin (née Dodds) who reigned in 1984-85 and Melissa Veldman (née Sparling), Huron’s most recent Queen, who reigned in 2010.

Beccario holds a special place on the list as she won the Queen competition on home turf, a feat that has yet to be repeated, although Huron’s Brooklyn Hendriks won the first-ever provincial Princess competition in Walton in 2017.

Beccario won in 1966 and was Queen for 1967. In 1966, the

International Plowing Match was held at the Scott family farm near Seaforth and has earned the nickname the Mud Match.

Beccario was the daughter of past Huron County Warden Ken Stewart and his wife Clarissa. She was coached in plowing by Bob Fotheringham and bested eight contestants for the title. She was 19 years old at the time.

Recollections of Beccario, who passed away in 2009, were featured in a special 50th anniversary book produced in 2011 by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association. According to the write-up that was submitted by her family, she remembered the grandeur of the site.

“The tented city covered about 60 acres and had four streets, three avenues and about 300 exhibitor tents,” she said. “It was very memorable for visitors and plowmen alike.”

The match started in the middle of a rainstorm on Tuesday, Oct. 11 and ended the same way on Oct. 15.

“For the visitors, the gooey sea of mud provided a massive challenge,”  she said.

“Rubber boots were brought in by the truckload.

Despite all this, the

crowds came and attendance reached 70,000. It was a success in many ways. And, everyone who attended tracked home souvenirs of our rich Huron County soil!” She said, in the write-up, that the

(Courtesy photo)

Klaver seeks to be fourth Ontario Queen from Huron

plowing community is a strong group and all of them were there. It was nice to win in front of a bunch of hometown people.”

She said she looked forward to the coming year and enjoyed having the leased car the Ontario Plowmen’s Association made available for her.

While there was a quarter-century between them, Veldman said her responsibilities were very similar to Godkin’s.

Both said they were responsible for going to local plowing matches and promoting the next International Plowing Match (both of which were in Elgin County).

As for Veldman’s most memorable moment, she said there was a celebration in her home community of Varna when she returned home from the competition.

“There was a celebration in Varna for myself and plowing champion Brandon McGavin and the other champions,” she said. “A lot of community people came out. That was definitely one of my most memorable moments. It was nice to see everyone come out and celebrate the local talent and it

Queen for a (year)

Melissa Veldman, who was Melissa Sparling in 2010, above, is the last Huron County Queen of the Furrow to win the provincial crown. The 2019/2022 Queen, Maranda Klaver, however, hopes to perhaps become the fourth from the area to earn the title. (Courtesy photo)

Continued from page 26 province, Godkin said, and most times, it was just her.

“Those kinds of things, driving unchaperoned across the province and sitting on the hood of a car for a parade might not happen in this day and age,” she said.

Godkin’s first event also provided important learning experiences, she said.

“My first banquet was in a place called Bognor in Grey County,” she said. “The first thing I learned thanks to it was to ask for at least three estimates as to how long it would take to get somewhere.”

Godkin pointed out that GPS systems weren’t available when she was Queen and she had to rely on hand-printed directions she taped to her dashboard.

“I made it to the event just in time, but I learned then and there to not trust one person when scheduling out trips,” she said.

The banquet at Bognor, which is nearly a two-hour drive from Godkin’s childhood home near Winthrop, held some more teachable moments. Godkin said she wasn’t aware of the fact that she wasn’t just at the event to bring greetings from the OPA, but she was also there as a guest speaker.

“I wrote my speech on the paper table cloth,” she said, laughing at the memory. “Then, they told me the speeches were going to be made in the upstairs of the hall we were in, so I had to rip the speech off the table cloth and bring it up stairs with me. That was a real baptism by fire.”

Godkin said she learned to always bring a speech with her just in case.

After those early experiences, she said her time as Queen was a piece of cake, with the exception of attending the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.

“I was driving to Toronto to the Royal and I lost my bearings on the 401,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do, but then I saw a dirty car with

a decal from a Huron automobile dealer. I figured they must be farmers and must be going to the Royal.”

Sure enough, the people in the dirty car were on their way to the Royal and, aside from a stern talking to when she got home, Godkin was no worse for wear.

Aside from the Bognor banquet and the Toronto trip, Godkin said everything else went well.

“I opened fairs, participated in parades, attended banquets and was the official representative for the OPA at farm shows,” she said. “I  also led a session at the convention the next year for the upcoming Queen hopefuls.”

The experience opened a lot of doors for Godkin, who went on to be a teacher at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton.

“I worked for the OPA for a couple years afterwards and that was fun,” she said. “Then I took time to go to school.”

Godkin said her year as Queen gave her a chance to travel across Ontario and make friends she still keeps in touch with to this day, especially at the annual International Plowing Match.

Veldman was Queen for 2010 and she remembers being passionate about the competition.

“I was excited,” she said. “I wanted to win. I was in Tecumseh, so a lot of family couldn’t make it to support me, but the Huron County

made for an awesome experience.”

Veldman said that desire played a strong part in her big win.

“I went in wanting to win, so I prepared,” she said. “I did research on the organization and had plowing practice and interview skills. I guess I had a good speech and I prepared by running it as well. I knew my speech like the back of my hand.”

She said that Queen competitors used to have to sing a song, and she had memorized that as well.

“I prepared quite a bit, and I wanted to win, but I didn’t let anyone know I wanted to win,” she said. “I just stuck to doing what I needed to do.”

All that preparation and the experience of attending the event has helped her throughout her life, Veldman said.

“It was a great networking opportunity and now I know tons of people from all over the province,” she said. “Aside from the networking, you get these hands-on skills that other people may not have the opportunity to practise.”

She said she learned to be comfortable speaking in front of

people with little to no preparation, participate in interviews, both with the media and in the competition, and learn how to talk to anyone.

“Sure, I got a car for a year, and that was good, but mostly the networking and skills are what you get when you win,” she said. “Those contacts have helped advance me in my life and my career. You get thrown into events and places where you don’t know anyone and you learn to talk about all aspects of agriculture and, around here, that’s a good thing to know.”

As for those looking to win, both Veldman and Godkin had the same advice for the Queen hopefuls: Be yourself.

“That would be my biggest tip,”  Veldman said. “Don’t be the person they want you to be. Just be yourself.”

“You have to be yourself and you have to be comfortable with your strengths,” Godkin said. “When it comes time to talk to people or do a speech, you need to feel good about what you’re doing and who you are.”

W. Harvey Beaty Memoirs

W. Harvey Beaty was a staple in Thamesford, Oxford County and many other areas in Ontario, Michigan and Florida, where his Cold Springs Farm business grew into an international agri-food empire generating sales of about $100 million a year until his death in 1994.

Harvey started Cold Springs Farm in 1949 and was in the farming business for most of his life. Read all about Harvey, his employees and his businesses, etc. in his book, memoirs that were written by Harvey and Fred Wisdom in the early 1990s and digitized for the public by Doris Weir in 2021.

Huron’s first Queen looks back on journey

public speaker through school drama classes, Taylor felt she would represent the county well, but thought her plowing knowledge could use some work. It was then that she walked into a Listowel-area farm dealership and asked the owner for help.

With her on-farm experience being only that of a horse-drawn plow, Taylor needed to know about a tractor-pulled plow and the owner of the dealership was more than happy to help.

Armed with her newfound knowledge of the ins and outs of a modern plow, Taylor felt ready to take on the competition.

While in Springfield, Taylor gave a speech and took part in the event’s parade, sitting on a wagon alongside

Plowing the way

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

As Huron County’s first-ever Queen of the Furrow, Doreen Taylor from the Westfield area has been an enduring presence in furthering the profile of women in agriculture in Huron County.

Since she was a young girl working on her family’s farm alongside her father, Taylor has had her hands in the world of agriculture. She says she has been part of a strong tradition of women who have been integral to success on the farm in Huron County and beyond.

It was Taylor’s early relationship with her father on the farm that led her to first become involved with the

Delayed

Huron County Plowmen’s Association.

Taylor’s father, Edgar Howatt, became a champion plowman in his teenage years. He was a regular sight at area plowing matches and always worked with a single-furrow plow and a team of horses. His success came after one of his neighbours worked to teach him the tricks of the trade.

He would plow for generations, Taylor said, starting in his early teens and continuing until he was in his late 70s.

It was at the 1960 International  Plowing Match (IPM), held at the home farm of Thomas Humbe and his sons in Springfield in Elgin County, that the first provincial

Queen of the Furrow competition was held and Taylor was the first woman to ever represent Huron  County in that competition.

She suspects her runner-up finish in the Ontario Dairy Princess competition at the Canadian National Exhibition led to her being chosen as Huron’s first Queen of the Furrow.

There was no local competition that year like there is now. Taylor was simply asked if she wanted to represent the county at the IPM and she accepted.

As an already accomplished

the other Queen of the Furrow contestants.

While she doesn’t remember many specifics about that year’s match, what she does remember is not having a way to get home and not realizing that until the match was over.

Taylor thought on her feet, however, and connected with members of the Becker family from Dashwood who drove her home.

When she was part of the competition, she had begun working as a nurse, a career that would span decades at both the Wingham and Listowel hospitals and then at a nursing home in Wingham.

In the years that followed her trailblazing representation of Huron

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Doreen Taylor of East Wawanosh led the way for all the Queens of the Furrow from Huron County. After being crowned Huron’s first Queen, she represented the county at the International Plowing Match in Springfield. (File photo)

It took 55 years, but Doreen Taylor, left, was finally presented with a sash marking her as the 1960 Queen of the Furrow for Huron County. The sash was presented in 2015 by the then-Queen Ursina Studhalter. (File photo)

Hendriks blazed trail as first provincial Princess

didn’t help. But, in the end, she was relieved to speak first. Not only did she get it out of the way, but she was the first to mention a number of topics, so she set the tone of discussion.

She said she remembers the agonizing wait while the judges made their decision that afternoon.

When she was named to the Princess competition’s top five, she said she was happy, sitting with the Huron  County crown and a top-five finish in the provincial competition. When she won, she was over the moon.

When she was being crowned by George and Ruth Townsend, a special moment in itself, her mind went back to something George had told her over a month earlier. When she was crowned the Huron County Princess, George told her that “she

First of many

At the 2017 International Plowing Match (IPM), held in Walton, Huron County’s Brooklyn Hendriks made history as the first-ever provincial Princess in the history of the match.

Prevailing on home soil, Hendriks said, made her particularly proud. This was her match, she said, and that made her want to win it just that little bit more.

Hendriks was determined to win in 2017, especially knowing that a win there would lead to a shot at the first-ever provincial crown at the IPM.

The local Princess competition was spearheaded by George and Ruth Townsend of the Seaforth area just over a decade ago. The Townsends started the program with the hope that it would serve as a feeder system for the Huron Queen of the Furrow competition, never thinking it would take hold at the provincial level at future IPMs.

The Townsends had been involved with local plowing matches for decades and have now seen the Princess competition produce a

number of fantastic young female contestants who have gone on to do great things not just in the Queen of the Furrow competition, but in the world.

What first attracted Hendriks to the competition is that it was similar to agricultural competitions she was familiar with through her love of 4H. To her, being the Princess of the Huron County Plowing Match was just another agricultural competition.

In the 2017 Huron County competition, Hendriks competed against 11 other young women, which she said made her rather nervous. Not only were there a dozen competitors vying for the crown, but she knew many of them from school, 4-H or from the community.

Knowing that winning the Huron  County competition meant a bid for the first-ever provincial crown at the IPM added pressure for Hendriks. So, when she won, he said she was pretty thrilled.

She then spent the rest of the summer as the president of the

Taylor an ag. proponent

Continued from page 28 County, Taylor has been a prolific public speaker throughout the community, and not just at local plowing matches.

In 2017, she spoke to the Queen of the Furrow contestants at the International Plowing Match in Walton and her speech was enthusiastically received by the young women. Taylor said the contestants were so engaged in her speech and they were clapping and laughing. She felt very close to her fellow Queens at that moment.

She said that a number of contestants spoke to her afterwards and asked her further questions.

Over the years, Taylor has become Huron’s “Queen Bee” and has been as involved as her schedule allows in the Queen of the Furrow competition year after year.

In fact, Taylor served as a judge for the competition in 2015 and was part of a special presentation. When she was the Queen of the Furrow, there was neither a sash nor any awards, so after she served as a judge, she was presented with a sash and a special gift to thank her for her work on behalf of Huron  County.

From the day she represented Huron County as its first Queen of the Furrow, Taylor says she has been proud to stand up for her home community.

“It gives me such pride to

represent the county. It’s so fulfilling,” Taylor said.

The competition has changed greatly over the years, she said. In the early days, contestants didn’t have any help and the competition has grown so much to get to where it is today.

To have been instrumental in the beginning of a program that not only promotes strong women in agriculture, but also the high quality of life offered in Huron County is a relationship that Taylor says have given her so much pride.

“The cities just don’t give it all to you. Country life is the life for me,” Taylor said.

She said that connecting people with this part of the world, to learn about the way of life in a rural setting and to educate them on where their food comes from is such an important task and one that’s becoming more important as that disconnect grows.

As for the Queen of the Furrow competition specifically, Taylor says she can’t speak highly enough about it.

Taylor encourages all of Huron County’s young women to participate in the process, saying that when she took part it was one of the best things she’s ever done in her life.

Between the friends you make and the skills and experience you collect, Taylor said it’s something that can really help improve a young woman’s life at that age.

special Huron County-wide IPM 4H Club. The club formed with just under 20 members with the goal of hosting the county’s 4-H Club tent at the IPM.

Hendriks truly benefited in her quest to become the province’s firstever Princess through the regular history lessons from long-time 4-H leader and plowing match judge Don Dodds, who served as one of the leaders of the club. Hendriks said that Dodds filled the club members with knowledge of Huron County history and stories from past IPMs that served her well for her Princess competition interviews.

In September, when it came time for Hendriks to represent Huron County in the IPM competition, she was so busy in the days leading up to the actual competition that she didn’t think about it much, despite it being on her mind for months prior.

Hendriks said she was nervous for the IPM competition and that being the first contestant to speak that day

I

better win” the provincial crown the first time it was up for grabs, especially since it was happening in  Huron County.

She said she was happy to have made the Townsends proud, as well as the numerous family members she had in the audience, including her grandparents.

The experience, she said, has been tremendous. Admittedly, the Ontario  Plowmen’s Association hasn’t had a playbook for the Princess competition and Hendriks and her family have often had to play it by ear, but she says she has enjoyed every second of it.

She hopes that what she’s done has provided a bit of a path for future Princesses to follow and that it will be easier for Princesses in the future.

GROW

Huron’s Brooklyn Hendriks was crowned the first provincial Princess of the Furrow at the 2017 International Plowing Match in Walton. Ruth and George Townsend, who were instrumental in the local princess competition, did the honours. (File photo)

Long-time judge explains how plowing is scored

Break it down

Deciding a winner at any plowing match, from the Huron County Plowing Match through to the World Ploughing Championship, the scoring is based on a few important aspects, including the opening split, the

For retired International Plowing Match judge Don Dodds, examining the cuts, straightness and various other qualities of a well-plowed plot was a decadeslong ambition.

While he’s retired from the IPM, he continues to support local plowers through both his judging expertise and involvement with local 4-H clubs.

During a span that reached back to the 1980s and that continues today at local matches, Dodds, who lives in the Winthrop area, annually takes to the fields to ply his numerous years of expertise as a plowing judge. He has examined and evaluated every level of plowing from local competitions and 4-H club practices up to national competitions.

Dodds has been involved in

A family affair

plowing for nearly 70 years now. He started as a youth in the 1950s and he is still involved with the Huron County Plowmen’s Association and as a 4-H leader.

He explained to The Citizen that, when he went away to pursue his post-secondary education, he stopped plowing, however, when his own children started, he got involved right away coaching and then eventually wanted to learn about judging so he could be a better coach.

In the early 1980s, Dodds attended a coaching school to further his understanding.

“I learned as much as I could and went through the scoring contests,” he said. “Within a year, I was asked by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association to be a judge.

“I guess I did too well at the

crown, the general work, the finish and the appearance. Local long-time judge Don Dodds explained to The Citizen not only how those are determined, but shared some of the finer points of judging as well. (File image)

judge classes,” he said with a laugh. After that he was paired up with other judges before taking to the fields himself with a scorecard in hand.

“Basically, I learned what was required for a good plow, then I saw whether it was there or not,” he said.

Beyond that, judging isn’t exactly clear for most people.

“It’s hard to explain,” he said. “It basically took a long time to learn what to look for and... incorporating the changes I’ve noticed over the years since then.”

Some of the most important of those lessons are, of course, the categories and what to look for when scoring plowing.

Scoring for traditional plowing is split into five categories; the initial split, the crown, the general work away from the crown, the finish and the general appearance. Within each category are scores for specific aspects, each of which is worth 10 points. Category scores range from 20 points for the first split up to 60 points for general appearance for a grand total of a

Continued on page 29

From this... ...to this

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Plowing in Huron County can hardly be discussed without the Dodds name coming up. From long-time judge, coach and 4-H mentor Don Dodds, shown above receiving a golden clipboard at the 2017 International Plowing Match in Walton to his wife Maja, not shown, who is a driving force behind the local matches to his son Paul, not shown, who has competed at the world championships and to his daughter Lynne Godkin, at left, one of the few Huron County Queens of the Furrow to win at the provincial level. (File photo)

320

Winner, judge the only ones happy: Dodds

Continued from page 30 possible 200 points, however Dodds said that it isn’t likely anyone will ever reach that lofty number.

“You don’t often see anything perfect outside of the split,” he said. “People don’t see 10 points on their scorecards, though you see eights or nines.”

The split, or the first cut made with the plow, is judged based on its straightness, its cut and its uniformity.

“The straightness is a major point not just for the split but for plowing in general,” Dodds said. “If you’re not plowing straight, you could be in trouble. You can go back and fix it, so that’s still worth marks, but you will still lose points.”

The first split has to be judged before the crown is established (or the high point of the furrow, typically in the middle of the plot) as it’s plowed under when proceeding with plowing.

The crown is a 40-point category judged on its straightness, closeness and conformity, the amount of grass or stubble not buried and the soil available for planting.

“That’s of course the whole point [of plowing] is making sure that there is enough good soil to plant in,” Dodds said.

After the crown is completed, the general work starts. Inspecting the general work requires some upclose inspection and this is when the judges are actually out in the field examining the work.

“You have to check the furrows and soil stability and make sure you can’t see grass and stubble,” Dodds said. “You also have to see how firm the soil is. You can stand at the headlands and not see all that, so you have to walk the field testing things.”

Dodds added that this is one of the parts of the judging that really helps competitors understand what

judges are looking for as he has walked through it with local 4-H groups.

The second-to-last section is the finish, which really deals with maintaining a happy medium between extremes.

“The finish should be as narrow as possible, making it easy to fill, and beyond that, it can’t be too deep or too shallow. The available soil has to fill it in,” Dodds said.

The final category is general appearance and it has to do with the plot as a whole.

“Everything on the land has to look finished and be straight and conform with the rest of it,” he said. “There shouldn’t be any humps or hollows or anything like that.”

One of the categories that appears on some scorecards, based on what kind of plow is being used, is the “ins and outs” category in the final section.

“This is how fast the plowman is able to get into the working depth,” Dodds explained. “It used to be a couple of feet, now they like to see it done within a foot. That’s why many people use hydraulics now, as they are quicker.”

Dodds said that reversible plows are scored differently because they don’t require the same amount of work to get to the necessary working depth.

Beyond the final score, there is the chance for penalties to affect the outcome of a plowing competition.

Dodds explained that, when working the final furrow, a plowman must cast off, or turn the dirt towards his own crown instead of his neighbour’s land.

“That last trip the furrow has to go towards the crown or else it could damage the work of a neighbour,” Dodds said. “It’s an important rule that sometimes gets overlooked.”

Beyond knowing the scoring and the penalties, Dodds said the best

experience for new judges is to have plowed themselves.

“Once you’ve plowed, you realize what’s involved with the system,” he said. “The longer you’re involved, the easier it becomes to recognize a wellplowed lot.”

He also said that scoring good plowing is much easier than scoring poor plowing.

“It’s a lot easier to start with a perfect score and work your way down than it is to try and figure out whether someone did half a job and then modify it from there,” he said. Despite that, he said giving people unearned marks, especially younger plowing competitors, makes for disappointment later on.

“If you’re giving marks that aren’t deserved, you deceive them,” he said. “You have to be honest when looking at the plowing because, if people get good marks locally then move up in competition and get poor marks, it’s a real heartbreaker.”

Judges go to school every year to learn any changes and to also communicate with each other and make sure they are on the same page, Dodds said. He added that

some of the scoring is always going to be up to personal preference, however, because each judge is different.

In his judging career, Dodds has judged at every level in Canada and says that Ontario is fortunate to have the judges it has.

While it is a lot of work and it can be stressful at times, Dodds said that judging is a great experience and one he really appreciated.

“I have enjoyed doing it and I hope I’ve helped the kids,” he said.

“It’s stressful, especially at the International [Plowing Match] and

it’s not a job to be taken lightly, but it is something you can look back on and know you helped out.”

As far as advice, Dodds said he has been given lots, but one of the most important lessons was one he was told on his first day.

“When you’re leaving the field, there are only going to be, at most, two people happy,” he said.

“There’s going to be the guy you put in first place and hopefully yourself if you know you did a good job. That was passed on to me on one of my first days as a judge and I won’t forget it.”

The driving force

One of the main reasons that Don Dodds (not shown) got involved in judging plowing was because his son Paul, shown above, wanted to compete. Since then, both have been to all levels of plowing competition either as a judge, a competitor or supporting a local plower. (File photo)