The Rural Voice, 1987-09, Page 1221
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36 GREY COUNTY PLOWING MATCH EDITION
IPM NEWS
OPA HISTORY IS
NOW IN PRINT
The history of the Ontario Plow-
men's Association has been compiled
for a book scheduled to make its debut at
the 1987 International Plowing Match.
Amber Underwood, manager of
program development for the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food, wrote
the book as part of her Master's Degree
in rural extension studies.
The history details the formation of
the OPA in 1911 and the association's
progress up to 1987. Plowing matches
were a popular event at local fairs across
Ontario in the mid -1800s. But the
matches became impractical because it
was difficult to find land suitable for
competitions near the fairgrounds. As
the matches began to disappear toward
the end of the century, a decline in plow-
ing skills was becoming evident.
In 1907, concerned farmers and the
newly formed extension service of the
Department of Agriculture (OMAF)
saw the need for a provincial plowing
organization. It was formed by 1911
with J. Lockie Wilson as its first general
manager. Wilson retained the position
until 1935. One year after his retirement
— he was 75 years old — he became
president of the OPA.
As Underwood notes, the OPA has
always been connected with expert
plowmen. The first provincial presi-
dent, Simpson Rennie, had won an out-
standing farmer award in the late 1800s.
In its first40 years, the OPA concen-
trated on educational activities. "Soil
conservation was a big issue even back
in the 1930s," Underwood says. The
OPA also worked on production and
marketing issues.
In the past 20 years, however, the
OPA's emphasis has been on the IPM,
while the Soil and Crop Improvement
Associations have focused on improved
soil management.
The first IPM arranged by the OPA
was in 1913 at Sunnybrook Farms, the
present site of Sunnybrook Hospital in
the north end of Toronto.
Many dedicated people have been
involved in the OPA, Underwood adds.
"There's something about the camara-
derie around the IPM that keeps them
coming back."0