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32 THE RURAL VOICE
dismissed. "Stratford is the heart of
this organization. It fits the
philosophy of the Congress. Thcre is
a small town atmosphere in a
beautiful city, with lots of other
exciting things to do. It's a good
blend."
But with the trend to bigger
pork operations and stringent
rules for maintaining livestock
health the Congress has outgrown
what was once the premiere drawing
card, the livestock shows. "They
were an integral part of the
Congress," recalls Gropp, who
remembers having felt amazement at
the huge crowds on hand at the live
shows in 1988.
Smelski agrees, noting that the
committee established to oversee the
purebred show was, 25 years ago, the
strongest group on the Pork
Congress. Now breeders have
become the exhibitors. "It's business.
That's just an example of the
changing industry."
The only show which exists now
is the junior barrow competition,
which was the first focus of the
Congress. "It's very much a part of
the history," says Gropp, "and it gets
the young people involved."
That investment in youth often
pays back, too. The winner of the
first junior program was John
Bancroft, who is now Agriculture
and Rural Rep with the Stratford
OMAFRA office, and serves on the
Congress executive.
Twenty-five years ago Bancroft
was involved with the Perth 4-H
Swine Club, the members of which
were encouraged to participate in the
Congress Junior Barrow Show. "It
was an opportunity to meet our peers
from around Ontario."
After attending university at
Guelph, Bancroft came back to the
Congress in 1983 helping on
committees, which he did every year
until the end of the decade. He
chaired the junior program, as well,
during those years. "At that time it
was a natural thing to come back to."
The Congress provides youth with an
opportunity to see what the pork
industry has to offer on a wide scale,
Bancroft notes. "It showcases all the
different avenues for youth to take,
whether equipment, feed or health, so
by having the junior program it gets
them involved. They develop
VI