Submitted by Robin Hilborn,
Bruce County Historical Society
What is North America’s largest outdoor agricultural and rural exposition? It’s the International Plowing Match (IPM), held every year in Ontario.
Bruce County has hosted the match three times: in 1976 and 1993 near Walkerton and in 2008 at Teeswater. The IPM returns to Walkerton this year for five days, September 22–26. In fact, this marks the 50th anniversary of the first IPM in Bruce County, in 1976.
The Ontario Plowmen’s Association has held an International Plowing Match in Ontario every year since 1913, excepting 1918, the war years of 1942–1945, and 2020–2021 due to the COVID pandemic. Bruce County also hosts annual plowing matches, put on by the Bruce County Plowmen’s Association.
These matches showcase both vintage and contemporary farming skills, bringing farmers together in friendly competition. In the classes of horse plowing and tractor plowing the judges look for “straightness, firmness, evenness, depth, shape and uniformity. A good plowed furrow must be straight with a smooth trough and clean, even sides.”
Photo: Poster for the 1976 International Plowing Match held in Walkerton, ON.
In 1976 Bruce County hosted the International Plowing Match from September 28 to October 2, with the slogan “Bruce Beckons—Come and Mix in ’76”. An estimated 200,000 people came to the Earl Johnston and neighbouring farms, 2.5 miles west of Walkerton.
Some 800 acres were needed for plowing and for parking cars. 103 plowmen entered the competitions, including three from Ireland. Some plowed with horses, but most used tractors with various-sized plows.
Tent City sprang up with power lines, underground water lines, water brought in from Teeswater in milk tank trucks, 40 portable toilets, and fire and police protection. It took over an hour for the daily parade of oxen, horses, ponies, tractors and farm machinery of varied vintage to pass a given place as it meandered through Tent City. Helicopter rides were popular with visitors.
Over 500 exhibitors completely filled the allotted 110 acres of space. Exhibits and demonstrations ran the gamut from arts and craft displays to the erection of a barn with steel sheets and metal poles in a matter of minutes. Colourful Bruce County tartan was in evidence everywhere, on Glengarry caps, scarves, tams, skirts and jackets.
Five days of good weather blessed the next IPM in Bruce County, held again at the Johnston farm, September 21–25, 1993. The attendance of 150,149 visitors yielded a healthy profit, which was donated to the County of Bruce General Hospital in Walkerton, to go toward a CT scanner. On the first day Prime Minister Kim Campbell officially opened the match and tried her hand at plowing.
For the 2008 IPM Wayne and Wendy McKague and a dozen other landowners north of Teeswater together contributed 1,000 acres to host the event. 94,500 people passed through the gates between September 16–20, to tour the Tent City, RV park, plowing land, parking fields and airstrip—58 planes brought passengers to visit the IPM.
Plowmen and women from across the province came to compete, and a junior plowing match was held Saturday for ages 10 to 21. Tent City with its 650 exhibitors covered over 100 acres, while the RV Park welcomed over 1,800 RVers. All this was made possible by the work of over 2,100 volunteers.
The big crowd-pleaser was the Team Farmall square-dancing tractors—Teeswater residents bought and refurbished a dozen Farmall tractors and performed before 3,000 people per show.
In 2026 the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2026) returns to the Bruce for the fourth time, from September 22 to 26. It’s on the same 1,200 acres of Bruce County farmland as the 1976 match, west of Walkerton at the corner of Durham Road and Bruce Road 3.
This September, don’t miss the IPM’s Tent City, with its 100 acres of exhibitors showcasing their products. You’ll find live music, displays of antiques and quilts, artisan vendors and a chance to learn about the farming life at historical and educational displays.
The Bruce County Historical Society will have a display in the History Tent. Also, stop by the Society’s booth in the Souvenir Tent and get our latest book, “Furrows of Bruce County: A harvest of stories from the farm”.
It’s an homage to farming in the county, with many stories from the last 175 years. You can read how farming played a huge role in settling the county, discover the history of fairs and plowing matches, and dip into the diaries of farm women.
“Furrows of Bruce County” is generously illustrated with historic photographs of farms, livestock, vintage tractors, threshing crews, ploughs, and, of course, furrows.
You can also get “Furrows of Bruce County” by contacting our book sales director, Bill Stewart (willstew@bmts.com). Or visit these fine bookstores: Bruce County Museum, Southampton; Treasure Chest Museum, Paisley; Holst Office Supplies, Walkerton; Bruce County Bookstore, Cargill; Little Blue House Café/Gallery, Tiverton; Hamilton’s Toys and More, Kincardine; Treats & Tales, Kincardine; Berford Street Books, Wiarton; The Shops at 84 Main, Lion’s Head; Readers’ Haven Book Store, Tobermory.
