Tractor square dance troupe on antique tractors highlight of County Plowing Match on Barr Line
Congratulations to the Renfrew County Plowmen’s Association and all those involved in the Renfrew County Plowing Match last Saturday on the Barr Line at the Stewart farm for an excellent event. The only complaint could be the 30 degree weather and the hot sun beating down on the many people who enjoyed the day-long event.
It was rather nice early in the morning when there was a cloud cover and a bit of a breeze. But when the cloud cover disappeared, it was hot.
The family-friendly show had an “old country-fair” feel, with demonstrations, displays, children’s activities, vendors, crafts, music and food from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Main stage entertainment included the Renfrew Highland Pipes and Drums at 10 a.m. and Fifth Street Band at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Highlight of the event was the ever popular Tractor Square Dance. They did two shows to the delight of a huge audience. It’s a one-of-a-kind dance troupe on antique tractors. It’s so popular with folks that the International Plowing Match (IPM) has Tractor Square Dance shows at their matches for many years now. It was the Renfrew County (Cobden-Beachburg) crew who performed at the IPM site in northern Ontario at Earlton in 2009. They trucked the red tractors up to Earlton. I remember it well. Huge crowds watched the event.
Among the displays on site at the Barr Line event were Andy Laird’s train sets, Tom Stephenson’s old-fashion ropemaking, Ted Richardson’s apple press and an old Case threshing mill that threshed a wagon load of oat sheaves.
The Antique Tractor and Equipment Parade was an interesting tour down memory lane with local farmers and collectors and the machinery they grew up and worked with. Where else can you hear antique two-cylinder John Deere tractors as they putt-putt along?
The Kubota Excavator Rodeo was also an interesting show with acts of excavating heroics with actual stock Kubota excavators and on-site demonstrations.
Tillage demonstrations have been popular for a few years now with so many new types of tillage equipment on the market. The Crop & Soil Association and the local equipment dealers had a variety of machinery on display and demonstrating performance for clients and bystanders alike.
It was good to see a number of tractors and plows doing their thing. I counted 13 tractors and a few teams of horses plowing. Plowing with horses is always an interesting sight. One young man plowing with a tractor couldn’t get the plow to go into the hard ground and he plowed his plot just scratching the surface.
More seasoned plowmen had bolted a heavy weight onto the back of their two-furrow plow and were able to keep the back mouldboard in the ground. It was interesting watching the plowmen as they adjusted the levers on the pull-type plows. Patience and adjustments makes for neat plowing.
