CORNWALL, Ontario – The Olympics of the plowing world are just 18 months away – but work remains to educate many in the area about the significance of the event.
The 2015 International Plowing Match will take place in September in Finch and preparations are already taking place for an event that will draw upwards of 100,000 people to the area.
“Hotels are already starting to book up for it,” said Terry Besner, economic development officer for the United Counties of SDG.
At a Thursday morning media event organized by the United Counties that covered a range of topics, municipal officials said a campaign will be undertaken to educate locals about the ins and outs of plowing matches and why farmers and agriculture experts go ga-ga over the event.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us,” said Tim Simpson, counties CAO, adding the local region will be showcased on a grand stage.
One could use all the adjectives imaginable to describe what the plowing match is – the Super Bowl of the agriculture world…the Olympics…the World’s Fair…the list goes on.
It’s the largest show of its kind in North America, and generates as much as $20 million worth from economic spinoffs thanks to tens of thousands of tourists that visit the event each year. A whopping 60 per cent of patrons travelled a total of 40,000 km to attend the 2012 plowing match in Roseville, Ont. near Kitchener.
Besner said the United Counties has pledged $100,000 to the organizing committee for the local event.
Cornwall is mulling a similar donation, but has yet to put up the cash and may do so as the event draws closer.
$15,000 FOR BIO-PROCESSING PLAN
Among the other topics discussed Thursday was that the United Counties has received $15,000 in funding to study how local farms can better share resources when it comes to waste and by-products produced at their operations.
It has also been one year since the fledgling economic development wing of the United Counties has been in operation.
