A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). For information, call 1-877-424-1300 or visit www.ontario.ca/omafra.
2014 International Plowing Match, Simcoe County
The 2014 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo is coming to Simcoe County, near the settlement of Ivy, from Sept. 16 to 20.
One-hundred years of Ontario plowing match tradition and the rich heritage of agricultural lifestyle continues into the next century. Old traditions carry on while new traditions are forged with a strong 100-year-old foundation.
Simcoe County offers a great agricultural landscape, wonderful tourism and recreational amenities, a good industrial base, social and entertainment attractions, and rural family living. The Township of Essa within Simcoe County, “Where Town and Country Meet”, is a rich agricultural basin well suited for the 2014 International Plowing Match.
More than 800 acres of beautiful fertile farmland, located in the local community of Ivy, will give rise to a homestead community setting for five days. The transformation from a rural farm setting to a gathering place of more than 20,000 visitors daily will showcase the very best of Simcoe County. Host farmers, Ivan and Barry DeGeer, invite you to witness this transformation.
In September, the transportation arteries within Simcoe County, specifically in the Township of Essa, will bring visitors, both new and seasoned, to the official site located at 4716 20th Sideroad, Ivy. Road signs will direct visitors to parking and drop-off points and information ambassadors will assist and direct visitors to points of interest within the tented city.
Across from the tented city will be an RV park with approximately 1,500 campsites both serviced and non-serviced, located at the Essa and District Agriplex facilities.
While the annual plowing match means daytime plowing for some individuals, for others it means evenings filled with music, food and social activities after a long day of taking in all the events the plowing match has to offer.
Please join us as we make our mark on this next century of International Plowing Match and Rural Expos.
Common buckthorn
This tree is very invasive and once established will discourage all beneficial plant growth. It is a host to crown rust.
The male and female flowers are found on separate plants. Small black fruit about ¼ inches in diameter containing three to four seeds appear on the female trees. Birds and mice love to eat the fruit but it acts as a laxative and they unknowingly place the seed wherever they pause, perpetrating the population. The trees are quite noticeable in the fall when the other trees have dropped their leaves the Buckthorn leaves will be green and the branches will be loaded with the black shiny fruit. Eliminate these plants.
Producers, food processors: the University of Guelph needs your input
The Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph is conducting research to find out how food producers and processors manage food safety controls and the challenges they face in implementing them. The results from this study will be used to inform the design and implementation of future educational resources (i.e. workshops, courses, etc.).
Participate in the survey at and have your voice heard at http://www.ontariopork.on.ca/Communications/Newsview/tabid/253/ArticleId/1691/University-of-Guelph-Survey-How-Ontario-agri-businesses-manage-food-safety.aspx.
