An outdoor flea market, a tractor pull, sparks show, horse show ring, a Ferrier with his forge and family fun are on the agenda for the Bruce County Heritage Association Steam and Antique Farm Show Aug. 16-18 south of Paisley.

The event is hosted by the Bruce County Heritage Association Inc., founded in 1993 to preserve, restore, collect, display and demonstrate antique machinery, tractors, equipment, artefacts, literature and accessories, relating to agriculture in Bruce County, and Ontario.

The 2018 show covered 75 acres with both working and static demonstrations and exhibits. This year’s feature is the International Harvester Company line of machinery and equipment, including the Mogel, Titan, McCormick-Deering and Farmall tractors.

Every year there are new and exciting features that and in 2020, plans call for another building to house the Lobsinger Threshing Machine artifacts and memorabilia that has been donated to the Bruce County Heritage Association by the Lobsinger family that lived nearby in Mildmay.

Many area farmers have threshed using these machines, remembering, how hot it was, or how many neighbours came over to your farm to help you thresh the grain and then enjoy huge harvest dinners, provided by the ladies.

These living memories and being a community is part of preserving the past for the future generations, not the current days of mega farms and the monster farm equipment.

The family fun includes demonstrations of four-horse team power to saw logs, cutting and binding wheat, using a grain binder, ploughing and disking.

Steam engines and the Rumely prairie tractor will plough using a Verity steam engine 8 furrow plough, and cut lumber at the sawmill, showing kids how pioneers added to the rural heritage.

The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre has a display on gathering information to trace roots back to the crown and the 1800’s deeds to the first Bruce County settlers who built sod huts before the first winters snowfall

The lifestyles program is offered mornings in the Memorial Building, as well as musical entertainment in the afternoons. This year, “Elvis” will be the main stage Aug. 17 presenting the countryside of Elvis.

This year’s tractor feature is the International Harvester Company, machinery and line of equipment, including the Mogel, Titan, McCormick-Deering and Farmalltractors.

The three-day event also features a Classic Auto show with many vintage vehicles on display.

The Craft building will feature a wide array of crafts, and expect long lineups at the local pie maker’s booth. Concession stands will also offer fresh-cut fried, wood-fired homemade pizza, and homemade ice cream.

Food, family fun, antique farm equipment and live entertainment at farm show
Antique tractors, crafts, a flea market, entertainment, a parade and demonstrations of turn-of-the-century farming practices will promote and showcase Bruce County’s rich agricultural history August 17-19 at the 25th annual Bruce County Heritage Farm Show, staged south of Paisley on County Road 3.
The event also marks the 25th anniversary of the Massey Expo of North America 2018.
“We expect between 16,000 and 17,000 visitors over three days and have a calendar full of events for everyone,” said Farm Show publicist Ken Kelly in an August 7 telephone interview.

“The rich proud agricultural history of this area would be lost without an event like this,” Kelly said, recounting how in 1993 the event was a dream for members of the Bruce County Heritage Association who were involved with the annual International Plowing Match.
“We started small and by 1997 had purchased 113 acres of land to stage the event and store and display 95 large farming items for the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre,” Kelly said, adding the collection includes buggies, cutters, farm equipment and 500 agricultural artefacts.
“We have six concerts over the three days for entertainment, and will feature various food booths including a corn roast – the corn

will be cooked by steam from a steam engine – a beef barbecue, and several service groups including the Port Elgin Lions Cub and Jackson Women’s Institute will serve food,” Kelly said.
There will be antique tractor pulls, ATV pulls, a teen obstacle course involving garden tractors, a pedal-power garden tractor pull for kids, and working displays of a steam shovel, an 1880 sawmill and model trains.
For 13 and 14-year-olds, there will be a confidence course to test their skills on a tractor, and 15 and 16-year-olds can enter a garden tractor pull.
Admission for adults is $10, kids under-12 are free. For a complete event schedule visit www.bruceheritage.com