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The Citizen, 1988-09-07, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1988. Dodds, Fotheringham take HPA titles, head for IPM Several well-known Huron County plowmen racked up enough points at the Huron County Plowing Match in Grey Township on Friday to qualify for competition atthe International Plowing Match later this month, some of them already IPM veterans and cham­ pions. Paul Dodds of RR 1, Seaforth was named Senior Champion Plowman for Huron County, fol­ Leanne Whitmore of RR 4, Walton won the Junior Reserve Championship at the 61st Annual Huron County Plowing Match held at MP Murray Cardiff’s farm near Brussels Friday, and will be competing for a junior title at the International Plowing Match near Stratford September 20-24. Miss Whitmore’s coach, Steve Adams of Brussels, directs her from in front of the tractor at Friday’s match. Keeping crop residue will be '89 challenge BY BRENT KENNEDY SENIOR SOIL CONSERVATION ADVISOR FOR HURON COUNTY Those starting into a conserva­ tion system this year had the good fortune of following a bumper crop in 1987. With the excellent growing conditions of 1987 came high yields but more important, from a conservation standpoint, a lot of vegetative growth. The 1987 stalks and crop debris are what made up the residue you had to deal with this cropping season. In some cases residue was so plentiful that occasionally a moldboard plowed field still obtained the 20 per cent residue level. The situation is likely to change in 1989. With the poor growing season of 1988 resulting in reduced vegeta­ tive growth, the challenge will be to maintain this 20 per cent cover. Means of maintaining 20 per lowed closely by Exeter’s Bevan Shapton, who captured the Senior Reserve Grand Championship at Friday’s match; while William Fotheringhamof RR3, Seaforth was crowned Junior Champion, and Leanne Whitmore of RR 4, Walton, the only female in serious competition, was named Reserve Junior Champion at the local meet. All four are former IPM competi­ tors. cent residue cover involves a number of things: •Reducing the number of tillage passes helps maintain residue. Each additional pass further breaks down the residue and incorporates it. •Depth of tillage should be kept shallow, minimizing incorporation of residue. •Minimize the use of tools which invert, chop or cut residue. These tend to break down and further incorporate the residue. In order to make the best use of this year’s crop as next year’s residue, make sure that it is properly spread at harvest. Resi­ due dropped in narrow rows can lead to plugging problems during initial tillage. Send a UNICEF card, Save a child's life. Mr. Dodds was Senior Reserve Champion at the Huron County Plowing Match lastyear, coming in just a few points short of Brian McGavin’s championship perfor­ mance; he alsocompeted in the Canadian National Plowing Championships in Quebec last fall as a result of capturing the Junior Championship - and the scholar­ ship that goes with it - at the 1986 IPM. Mr. Shapton, too, isa veteran plowman now in his 10th year of competition both locally and at the IPM. He has held both the Junior and Reserve Junior Champion­ ships, as well as Reserve Senior Championship, at previous Huron County plowing matches, and has been close to the top at several international matches over the pastfew years. In addition, Mr. Shapton this year was the plowing coach for Queen of the Furrow runner-up, Marina Rawlings of RR 1, Zurich, who tallied the second- highest score in the plowing section of the Queen of the Furrow competition. Huron’s 1988-89 Junior Cham­ pion, William Fotheringham, was also the local match’s 1985 Reserve Junior Champion, and since the 1986 Huron County match was cancelled due to heavy rain, competed on his record at the 1986 international match at Mea- ford, where he captured the Junior Championship and the scholarship which goes with it. He is now in his second year of Field Crop Produc­ tion and Management at Ridge- town College. Leanne Whitmore, Huron County’s only serious woman contender over the past couple of years, also won the title of Junior Reserve Champion Tractor Plow­ man at last year’s local meet, and will go on to compete for her second year atthe IPM in two weeks’ time. Friday’s threatening skies held off their rain just long enough for close to 50 plowmen to try their skills on some 70 lands at Huron-Bruce MP Murray Cardiff’s farmjust north of Brussels, and the turnout of both participants and spectators was one of the best in recent years, according to Graeme Craig of RR 1, Walton, secretary­ treasurer of the Huron County Plowmen’s Association which sponsors the local meet each fall. The only disappointment of the If you doubt the value of fertilizing your hay crop, consider this: for every dollar you spend you get more protein, more dry matter, more TDN - FROM EVERY ACRE. Let us spread your hay ground with our Air-Flow spreader. —ORDER YOUR SEED WHEAT NOW HARUS—FREDERICK—AUGUSTA— As close to the land as you are /r<Brussels Agromart- 519-887-6273 1988 Huron County Plowing Match, for many of the sport’s avid fans, was the failure to see the McGavin name, which has been synonymous with championship plowing for three generations, fail to appear in the winner’s circle. Of the two current McGavin cham­ pions, Brian, who was married on August 27, was in Jamaica on his honeymoon; while Jeff, the youn­ ger brother was forced to compete with an unfamiliar plow, since his own competition machine was on its way to Agassiz, B.C., where the 1987 Junior Champion at both the Huron County match and the IPM will compete for Ontario at the Canadian National Plowing Championships September 14-17. “It only goes to show you how personal your own (plow) is in competition plowing,’’ said Neil McGavin of RR 4, Walton, Brian and Jeff’s father and himself a former champion plowman. “Jeff had never used that particular plow before, and the results certainly showed.” Other class winners on Friday were as follows: Class 2, Tractor Class for Huron Youths under 20 - William Fotheringham, 1st; Mur­ ray Townsend, RR 3, Seaforth, 2nd; Class 3, Tractor Class for Huron Plowmen - Paul Dodds, 1st; Bevan Shapton, 2nd; Class 4, Open Tractor: Elmer Erb, Millbank, 1st; Ron Scotchmer, Mitchell, 2nd; Class 5, Green Class for Huron Youths - Ken Bettles, RR 3, Kippen, 1st; Jonathan Hugill, RR 2, Seaforth, 2nd. Class 6, Ladies’ Tractor: Leanne Whitmore, 1st; Class 7A, Huron Jr. Farmers plan program Huron County is world known for its agricultural excellence. This excellence comes from its dedicat­ ed people and leaders. The Huron County Junior Farmers are spon­ soring an Agri-Food Week dinner program to reward these people. The evening is entitled ‘Huron County: An Agricultural Leader II’. The evening is planned to recognize Huron County and its agriculturalexcellenceand as a kick off for Agri-Food Week. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Rural Leader­ ship Awards to local people for their outstanding leadership and County Youths, Competition Plows: William Fotheringham, 1st; Matt Townsend, RR3, Sea­ forth, 2nd; Class 7B, Huron Co. Open, Non-Competition Plows: Jeremy Becker, Dashwood. 1st; Mike Pentland, RR 6, Goderich, 2nd; Class 8, Open Tractor: Elmer Erb, 1st; Bevan Shapton, 2nd; Class 9 - Wardens, Reeves, etc. : Roy Bennett, Wingham, 1st; Betty Cardiff, RR 1, Ethel, 2nd; Class 10, Tractors drawing Four Plows or More: John Becker, Dashwood, 1st; Scott Cardiff, RR 5, Brussels, 2nd; Class 11, Antique Class, Ken Bettles, 1st; Ron Scotchmer, 2nd. There were no entries in Class 12, Horse-drawn Plows. Fourteen plowmen will go to the plow for Huron County at the 1988 International Plowing Match near Stratford September 20-24, 13 of those who qualified at the local match last week, along with Brian McGavin of RR 4, Walton, who qualifies on his past personal record. In other competitions, Kippen’s Norma Gemmel was the winner of the Ladies’ Nail-driving contest, with Marg Whitmore of RR 4, Walton, coming in second; while Francis Hicknell of RR 5, Seaforth placed first in the men’s division, with Bob Bell of RR 2, Kippen, placing second. In Horseshoes, the team of Elgin Kupfer and Lee Desjardine of the Dashwood area captured the championship, with Brian Campbell and Laverne Hoegy of -the Winthrop area comingina close second. There were no entries in the Log-sawing contest. contribution to the rural commun­ ity and agriculture in Huron County. Various guest speakers will be talking about different aspects of Agri-Business. The Dinner is Monday, October 3,1988 at 7:00 p.m. in the Clinton Legion. The Huron County Junior Farm­ ers will welcome nominations for the Rural Leadership Awards from individuals or organizations until Friday, September 16,1988. Nom­ ination fdrms can be obtained by contacting Robert Hunking, RR 1, Auburn, 523-4316 or the Clinton O.M.A.F., P.O. Box 159, Clinton, 482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170.