The Rural Voice, 1987-09, Page 105T
In the final stages of planning the match are local committee chairman, Russ McCutcheon, centre, flanked
by first vice-chairman Brian Gamble and second vice-chairman, Fay Harrison.
advantage of the mass buyer potential
of 20,000 prospective customers walk-
ing past their tents each day. "We try
not to project a carnival image and we
don't want to become a home show,"
Rawn says. It is sometimes difficult
to decide who can and who cannot be
a part of the exhibit area, but the OPA
has managed to retain the agricultural
flavour of the match.
The large rectangular field that
accommodates the Tented City allows
a good traffic flow and elbow room
for the trailer and tractor parks and
conservation tillage demonstrations
on the fringe. Machinery row is once
again in the middle of the site. The
machinery exhibits will be fewer in
number but the exhibit space for each
is larger, Rawn notes. Ford and New
Holland have joined exhibits and will
also include Versatile in their display.
Case will be introducing a new tractor
at the match.
It is difficult not to be impressed
with the size and quality of the Tented
City, especially as it is a self-con-
tained community for one week every
year, then disappears as quickly as it
was set up. The temporary city, with
its own telephone, hydro, and water
systems, police force, fire department,
and garbage collection, has more than
375 exhibitor tents, all rented from
four major tent companies. They
range in size from 12 feet by 15 feet to
the incredibly large 80 feet by 200 feet
of the Case International tent.
Hosting the International Plowing
Match is a privilege that Grey County
has earned through its good planning
and hard work.0
John and Velma Lowe, host farmers in 1987.
SEPTEMBER 1987 19