The Rural Voice, 1987-10, Page 64Liquid Manure
Tanks & Pumps
GIBSON
WELDING
Alma 519-846-5188
OKUBOTA, 11t1LA'T!
TRACTOR CANADA LTD.
The staff at Geo. C. South
Equipment Ltd., Meaford,
can't believe it. George
was so impressed with the
enthusiastic acceptance of
the Kubota demonstrations
at the International Plowing
Match last month that he
agreed to take over the
plowing match inventory of
Kubota tractors, excavators,
and garden equipment — in
fact, most of their display.
Now George is offering
a whopping big discount
on all Kubota inventory in
the yard. Now is the time
to make that deal on a new
Kubota tractor and equip-
ment and save big dollars
at the same time. Only at
Geo. C. South
Equipment Ltd.,
Meaford, Hwy. 26 W.
519-538-1660
1-800-265-3116
62 THE RURAL VOICE
NOTEBOOK
IN PRAISE OF
GREY COUNTY
Cathy Laird, born in Florida, has lived
in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Liberia.
Now at R. R. 4, Owen Sound, she and
her husband, John, and his brother,
James, own a 350 cow -calf operation.
The mother of three, Cathy belongs to
the Chatsworth Agricultural Society and
was one of the seven original members
of the Concerned Farm Women. She
recently visited the International Plowing
Match for the first time:
The byword around our house last
month was "plowing match." I don't
have a good reason for not having at-
tended a plowing match before — per-
haps proximity had much to do with it.
The event, in fact, was a surprise in
many ways, this being the first time I've
ever attended any agricultural gathering
of this scale and type. They just don't
have these events in the middle of urban
Florida where I hail from.
The day of our visit was one of infor-
mal friendliness — only a rare business
suit indicated the presence of behind
the scenes officials. The parking was
well -directed and hassle -free. The rides
to and from the Tented City were all part
of the fun, and enjoyed as well by the
tractor drivers, who were courteous and
helpful. Cleanliness, friendliness, and
organization were the order of the day.
There was a large crowd, as with all
the matches, but there were seldom any
line-ups. The only negative part of the
week was wondering at what point peo-
ple ceased to be interested in the differ-
ent booths and the quest for "freebies"
took over. Representatives of the farm -
related businesses had quite a time keep-
ing up with the demand for handouts.
The most impressive exhibit, to my
mind, was the Grey County tent. Greet-
ing me at the entrance was a large sign
asking, "Do you know all these by-
products also come from Grey County
cattle?" Besides the obvious items like
jello and leather goods, Grey County
cattle give us sports equipment, fabric
softener, chalk, photographic film,
toothpaste, crayons, wallpaper, sham-
poo and soap, buttons, glue, shoe polish,
candles, and chewing gum. Various
medicines are also important products
of the cattle industry: cough medicine,
insulin, estrogen, and thyroid extract.
There are more than 10 breeds of
cattle raised in Grey County, from Here-
fords to Angus, Galloways, and Brown
Swiss, from Simmentals, Charolais, and
Limousin to buffalo.
The Southern Georgian Bay District
Fruit Growers focused on apples and all
the industry's products: cider, juice,
dried apples, pie filling, and applesauce.
The Grey County Cream Producers dis-
played their cream and butter. Other
food sectors included the maple syrup
producers, the pork producers, and the
sheep and goat breeders. There were
also displays by the different townships
and several community groups.
The Ministry of the Environment
and the Ministry of Natural Resources
exhibits brought out the idea of con-
servation in dramatic ways. Both dis-
plays emphasized good tillage, control
of manure run-off, and good pesticide
management. The Environment exhibit
gave out some practical advice, ap-
plicable to the farming community as
well as urban people: "Be aware of the
results of your actions. Be conscious of
the importance of good water quality.
Be considerate of your neighbours."
The Natural Resources exhibit con-
tained a bit of our beautiful surround-
ings in a tent, and included an owl,
turtles, a deer, and a pair of coyotes. The
Resources staff stressed the importance
of farmers co-operating with nature.
The country music coming from the
demonstrations rang out with a lively
tempo, all the performers seeming to
enjoy themselves as well. There is a
great deal of local talent that we take for
granted! The most important lesson to
be gained from attending the match is
that there is much to be thankful for in
this area: our profession of farming, our
neighbours, and even the privilege of
working our land. The plowing match
made me aware that I am guilty of taking
a good many things for granted.
As a first-time plowing match par-
ticipant, I didn't see everything or even
spend much time in the plowing areas. I
didn't spend hours in Machinery Row,
gazing up at the giants of the industry
with their green, red, yellow, and blue
colours. I saw hats and horses, beauty
queens and skateboard champions,
balloons and booklets. I talked with old
friends and made some new friends.
Thank you, organizers of the plowing
match, for a great day! Mostofall, thank
you for showing me what a great county
I live in and how good it is to be a
member of the Grey County farm
family.0