A farm just south of Guelph became the centre of the agriculture universe in southwestern Ontario this past weekend.
John Deere Heritage Days, a weekend event first started in 1990, descended upon the Deter family property on Wellington Road 32.
Each year, the event is held at a different farm across southwestern Ontario, presented by the 1st Ontario Two-Cylinder Club. It is the club’s biggest event of the year.
“I think it’s important from the perspective of people (to) understand where their roots came from,” said Chris Budd, the 1st Ontario president.
“A lot of what’s featured here is what was the technology of the day, the AI of the day, or the electric car of the day, which allowed farmers to put food on their table, to have a commodity to sell so that they could have a business for their families, and then ultimately produce commodities that were used to feed everybody, to feed the world.”
He said with people having an opinion on agriculture policy these days, he hopes this event helps to give an indication of where things came from and the challenges being faced by farmers.
The event featured over 130 pieces of John Deere equipment, from tractors, to trucks and much more. This year’s featured piece is both push and driving lawnmowers.
Many of the pieces brought in ranged in age. Some tractors set up were built in the 1930s.
The two-day event also had tractor pulls, a tractor parade, kids activities, food and several vendors. Most events were rained out on Sunday, but Saturday was booming with activity.
“(Saturday) was great, lots of people, no mishaps, can’t ask for anything any better,” said Henry Deter, whose brother owns the farm.
It was the first time for the Deter family to host on this property. There was a previous edition hosted on a property on Fife Road. The organization relies on members who have enough land to raise their hand to host.
The first event was held at Budd’s parents farm outside of Ingersoll.
He wasn’t born at that point, but has seen the show grow year after year.
While the 1st Ontario membership has grown to around 150 since its inception, what Budd finds really cool is how much of the general public comes out each year.
“What’s encouraging is each year, we’re seeing more youth involvement,” he said.
“That’s going to be the future of the club. We have a lot of passion for history in the innovations that were developed through agriculture and equipment. I think seeing that being passed on to younger people is what’s exciting. That’s why people really get passionate about the events.”
Not just the future of the club, but the future of the agriculture industry.
Budd feels there was a big disconnect between the general public and what was happening in the sector.
“I think what people don’t typically understand is how much innovation happens in agriculture,and how quick it does happen,” he said, adding he is involved in the science side of things in agriculture.
“When people go to events such as this one, it allows them an opportunity to get an appreciation for where it all came from and how hard it was.”
It’s an appreciation that those at the club feel cannot be understated, as agriculture and farming are vital to society as a whole.
“Without farmers, there’s no food,” Deter said. “When you come up behind a slow moving vehicle, it’s there for a reason. They’re not just going for a drive.
“You quit eating, we don’t need farmers, it’s that simple.”
