Here we go again … It’s almost like a legacy, a marriage, a long-term commitment.
Some say it’s our moral responsibility to continue and others say it’s for the survival of the community. Welcome to Farm Show 2017.
Like everyone that grows up or resides in our great country, we anticipate the warmth and splendour of spring; no one more so than our farmers. The smell of the land warming up looking forward to seed, the animals in the barn getting restless to kick up their heels in the pasture and the equipment in the shed getting a last-minute service before hitting the fields for another effort at the best crop ever.
It all starts now. You have been planning spring in your head all winter long; now it’s time to see what’s new, what’s going to provide the best yield, who is going to give the best service , who is going to give the best price and what will give my family the best return on investment for my farm.
Every booth at the Drayton Farm Show is hand-picked. The Kinsmen have had a long tradition of keeping the farm show real. This year every aisle, hallway and wall space is filled.
Our exhibitors, like many of you, grew up doing chores before and after school and have spent many a late night to get the job done.
That’s what the Drayton Kinsmen Farm show is and will always be.
The only kitchen magicians are the minor hockey moms and dads in the food booth, the freckle-nosed youngster at the door is getting some required high school volunteer hours and the guys in the burgundy shirts putting it all together. They all have one mission in mind: to make it the best farm show ever and celebrate agriculture as only a rural farm show could.
The Kinsmen, with the help of our exhibitors, have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Mapleton community through the proceeds from the farm show – including parks and playgrounds, ball diamonds, soccer fields, helping area families in a time of need – and for that we sincerely thank our farmers and citizens for their support.
So when you ask what’s new at the farm show this year I have got to say, lots, some new exhibitors, some great old exhibitors with some really interesting new ideas and products and lots of “How the heck does that work?” and “Hey, I haven’t seen you since last year’s farm show.” Those farmers are busy people.
Our collector tractor this year is a Farmall, which in a sense is why we’re here. They made these tractors from 1965 to 1972 and if you ever owned one or are one of our many collectors of the Drayton Farm Show tractor this is a must have. We have limited quantities so it’s first come, first served.
On behalf of the Drayton Kinsmen thank you for coming out to the Drayton Farm show this year to celebrate agriculture, meet our new exhibitors and take a look at what is new from our many exhibitors that have been here since day one.
As Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka once said, “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops or the production of milk and meat, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
Glenn Dobben,
2017 Farm Show Chair
