38th Annual Drayton Farm Show - Community News

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EDITORIAL

By Patrick Raftis

Mystifying math

While the news cycle has largely moved on to the back and forth between Ontario Premier Doug Ford and ousted (from the Tory caucus) MPP Randy Hillier, whose accusations that fealty to Ford has become more important than representing constituents among the Conservative crew ring pretty true, it’s hard not to cast a backward glance at last week’s announcements regarding education.

The Ford government revealed changes to Ontario’s education system on March 15, including increased class sizes for high school and upper elementary grades, and new elementary math and health education curriculums.

“Our plan will modernize the classroom, protect the future of the education system and ensure that Ontario students will acquire the skills they need to build successful lives, families and businesses right here in Ontario,” said Education Minister Lisa Thompson.

Maybe, but only if they’re building successful lives in Doug Ford’s Ontario, where the only math the government would like you to know is that beer costs a buck a bottle and a carbon tax will bankrupt the province. While some old-timers are applauding the announcement of a back-to-basics math curriculum that includes a return to emphasis on rote learning of times tables, it’s hard not to wonder who that will help. Math basics need to be taught, but they should hardly be the focus. The advent of calculators and computers has meant that while students need to understand math principals, the basic grunt work can be handled electronically, leaving young minds free to concentrate on more intricate and important tasks. Farmers don’t plow fields with horses anymore, for much the same type of reasons. It can be done, but why would you?

While the health and physical education curriculum appears not to have been dialed all the way back to the 1950s, as many feared it might be under a leader who was compelled to cozy up to social conservatives long enough to win his party nomination, the new version does delay introduction of topics such as sexting, contraception and sexually transmitted infections until halfway through Grade 8 which, unfortunately, is going to be too late for some.

Perhaps the biggest lesson imparted by the new education approach is that this government actually thinks you are stupid.

Otherwise, why would they even try to sell a plan to increase class sizes as symbiotic with Ford’s election promise that “not one single person will lose their job.” That of course evolved post election to “no front line workers” will lose their jobs (tell that to all the front line workers already facing layoffs due to program changes). Thompson is now pushing the line there will be “no involuntary job losses” due to the education changes.

Attrition may sound like a painless way to cut, but unions are predicting there could well be 16,000 to 20,000 fewer teachers working in Ontario four years from now. In addition to the impact on current students, that kind of talent exodus bodes poorly for the future of education in general. Many bright young people have already been discouraged from entering the education field due to difficulty in finding full-time employment upon graduation in recent years. What impact this purge will have on the profession is difficult to imagine. Still, with a Tory majority, there’s no stopping the plan, so we might as well get ready for the “new” math. Try this one: if beer costs one dollar, how much does it cost to drink enough to forget, at least for a little while, that Doug Ford is premier?

By Aryn Strickland

DRAYTON - One of the draws of the Drayton Farm Show is that very little about the show has changed in the 38 years since it began.

The family-friendly show is full of time-honoured traditions like a collectable model tractor.

The main focus of the twoday event, according to 2019 farm show chairman Chad MacKay, is the chance for community members who work side-by-side all year to celebrate their rural roots.

“It’s basically almost a social event, so you get to see all of the vendors in person ... the vendors like ... to sort of (engage) with the people that they work with,” said MacKay.

He added the show offers “a mixture of different businesses from the various sides within the agriculture field – from barn painting businesses and manure removal to robot barn cleaners and feeders.

“I think [the show] still suits the people that work on the farms and own the

farms to get out and see what’s going on in the rest of the agricultural (world),” MacKay said.

Some of the new equipment will be on site this year, he told the Community News.

“We’ve got maybe 15 vendors bringing equipment to park outside for people to take a look around and actually see some of the bigger stuff,” he said.

The two-day show, sponsored by the Drayton Kinsmen, takes place on March 27 from 11am to 10pm and on March 28 from 11am to 9pm at the PMD arena in Drayton.

Half of the $5 admission fee is donated to cystic fibrosis research, a cause that the local Kinsmen support at a national level.

The rest of the proceeds are put toward various Kinsmen projects in the community.

There are displays, information booths and educational opportunities suited to rural and non-rural visitors of all ages. Show-goers will see a few new faces among the exhibitors, with most regulars returning.

Tractor Collectible

One of the main attractions every year at the Drayton Farm Show is the diecast model tractors for purchase.

This year the featured collectible is the Farmall Blue Ribbon tractor.

Tractor collectors can pick up a model tractor at the Drayton Kinsmen Farm Show booth.

Drayton Farm Show proceeds to help fund shade shelters for park

DRAYTON - The annual Drayton Farm Show, now in its 38th year, is the biggest fundraiser for the local Kinsmen Club.

A portion of the $5 admission fee to the event, held this year on March 27 and 28 at the PMD arena, is donated to cystic fibrosis research.

“Then all of the proceeds from the door, half of that goes directly to cystic fibrosis, along with another portion of the entire project,” said 2019 farm show chairman Chad MacKay Cystic fibrosis is a cause supported and fundraised by Kinsmen Clubs across Canada.

“We are into at least the tens of millions (of dollars) donated (through the Kinsmen) to cystic fibrosis over the years,” said MacKay. The remainder of the

proceeds from the show are put toward various Kinsmen projects in the community.

This year, the Kinsmen are looking to raise funds for a shaded shelter at ABC Park in Drayton near the splash pad and the Kinsmen park playground.

“This year we are looking to potentially put up some shade shelters at the parks in town and this would be a big contributing factor for those gazebo-type shade shelters,” explained MacKay.

He said the shelters were priced out at $30,000 each.

“We sort of noticed that there is often a lot of people across the road where there is no children’s park and they use that shade shelter quite often for picnics,” said MacKay.

“And we noticed that a lot of the families are down at

the Kinsmen park and now up at the splash pad without any shade or cover for parents to sit around or to have a picnic.”

In 2017, over 3,000 people attended the farm show, which allowed the Kinsmen to make a sizable donation to cystic fibrosis research and the other local causes.

Last year 1,800 people visited the farm show.

This year organizers say they are hoping to match, if not surpass, last year’s numbers.

“I think generally we are expecting between 1,800 and 2,000 visitors through the door over the couple days,” MacKay told the Community News

Another local organization that receives funds raised at the annual farm

Farming showcase - The Annual Drayton Kinsmen Farm Show will be held at the PMD arena on March 27 and 28. The event features the latest in agricultural technology and also provides an opportunity for farmers and farm suppliers to talk shop. Linkyn Kabbes of Arthur checked out a new riding lawnmower at the 2018 show. Community News file photo

Long-running show - Many of the exhibitors at the Drayton Farm Show return year after year to enjoy the opportunity to meet face-to-face with farmers and other vendors to discuss current trends and equipment in agriculture. Full-size equipment, as well as more compact units are on display at the event, which has been running for 38 years. The show continues to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as well as local Drayton Kinsmen Club projects.

Community News file photos

Looking forward to seeing you at the Drayton Farm Show on March 27th & 28th

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Drayton Farm Show remains popular with vendors

DRAYTON - The Drayton Kinsmen Club was founded in 1968.

When the organization started the Drayton Farm Show in 1981, the purpose was to provide an opportunity to connect local residents in the agriculture field and to raise funds for community projects and cystic fibrosis research.

Over the years the Kinsmen have streamlined the process of organizing one of the area’s annual main events.

According to first-time farm show chair Chad MacKay, the process starts in October with divvying up roles. MacKay said he has already enjoyed learning on the job.

“I thought it would be good to run an event like this,” he said.

Not being a farmer him-

self, MacKay said he has been a big fan of the event because so many of his friends and acquaintances in the area work in agriculture.

You learn a lot as far as organizational stuff goes and you get involved with all of the local members of the community and business partners, so it’s been good,” he added.

The chairman started sending out invitations for this year’s event in January.

Passing on the information from one chairman to the next, with so many returning vendors, means most are expecting to be invited and plan on attending.

This year only 15 of the show’s 125 vendors are new to the event.

For new vendors that want to be in the show, limited space can sometimes be an issue.

“With the space sometimes it takes a year or two to get everyone into the show,” MacKay said.

The largest part of his role, he explained, is organizing how all of the vendors will fit in the arena and deciding who goes where.

“It is still a lot of work, but all of the vendors ... have been doing it for years so they know what they are doing,” MacKay said.

“We just contact them, they come in and do the same thing they did last year basically.”

Booth and curtain set up in the PMD arena takes place the week prior to the event, allowing organizers and MacKay to get it right.

“Being that it’s been running for 38 years, a lot of the infrastructure is already in place so it gets set up fairly easily,” he said.

Community event

Free trees - Local organizations take the opportunity to reach out to the community through participation in the Drayton Farm Show. LEFT: Trees for Mapleton gave out free trees at the 2018 show. Grand River Conservation Authority forestry specialist Meghan Clay, left, and Liz Samis, right, of Trees for Mapleton committee, presented trees to the Signer family at last year’s event. RIGHT: The latest in farming equipment is always on display at the show.

Community News file photos

Proceeds from annual farm snow enhance local community

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show is the Drayton Minor Hockey Association, which receives donations from the food booth run by members from the association.

Over the years, the local Kinsmen have completed

hundreds of projects, including an addition to the agricultural society building, purchase of a rescue van and Jaws-of-Life for the local fire department, development of ball parks and soccer fields, and a large contribution to

the PMD Arena.

The local fire department, an area pregnancy crisis centre, the United Way, local food bank and multiple sclerosis research have also benefited from the Drayton Kinsmen.

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