Plowing gets under the skin

WANHAM, Alta. – In 1970, the residents of Wanham were looking for an activity that would put their community on the map and give the small town a boost.Over coffee, United Church minister Ken Innes suggested a plowing match, which was popular in Eastern Canada.The Wanham Plowing Match continues 40 years later, still breathing life into the small Peace River area community.”It’s the life of the whole community,” said Bev Wells, plowing match vice-chair and one of the dozens of volunteers who host the community’s primary fundraiser each year.”No one would ever have dreamed it would last 40 years. It runs in spite of us,” Wells said from inside plowing match headquarters.Money raised from the event finances the Community of Coordinating Organizations (COCO).Instead of having multiple organizations with multiple sets of books and members, community events are run under the COCO umbrella, including the plowing match.The Wanham Plowing Match has become more important since the school closed 12 years ago.It is now the community’s annual get together where former farmers and town residents return to Wanham to help host the event and catch up with friends.”As a community, we pull together and work together,” Wells said.”Why would we quit? The camaraderie is amazing. It’s a little adrenalin rush.”Tara Sallis said the plowing match may still be the main event, but over the years other activities have been added to attract participants and visitors.Bull riding, horse shows, tractor pulls, arm wrestling and heavy horses all bring people to Wanham for the weekend, Sallis said.”Horse plowing is getting bigger every year. Those heavy horses, people will watch them do anything. They’ll even watch them skid logs up and down the roads.”Doug Marr and his brother Whaley have been coming to Wanham for years. They watched their first tractor plowing event in 1972 and competed in their first plowing match in 1976. They have competed every year since except for two years.The farmers from Brooks, Alta., spend hours encouraging the young competitors and teaching them how to adjust their plows and keep their tractors straight.”If there are kids that want to learn, we try to help,” Doug said.Every furrow in competitive plowing should look alike: the same slant, size and width.”If you go too deep, the furrow will stand too high. If you go too shallow, it will flatten out,” said Doug, who has competed in four world champion plowing competitions and won the right to compete in a fifth but gave his spot to another competitor.Lynn McDonald has judged the plowing competition since 1974, when district agriculturists and instructors from Alberta’s agriculture colleges were asked to help with the event.McDonald, a former Olds College instructor, said the college offers a year’s tuition to the winner of the junior plowing competition in an attempt to encourage young people to take up the activity.Pierre Sache of Chilliwack, B.C., said he tries to attend three or four competitions a year.”You meet fun people with similar interests and each time you try to do a better job,” he said.”Practice is all it takes.”Judges look for straight lines, covered weeds, uniformity of furrow, neatness and firmness in packing.Jesse Meyer of Woking, Alta., won the provincial junior competition two years ago and the national title in 2008 and is using his scholarships to study agriculture at Olds College.Meyer’s father, Leo, suggested all four sons take part in the competitions as a way to support the agriculture event.”It’s the only time we plow. It’s a great sport,” Jesse said.Samy Meyer said he tries to improve his skills each year, but also take what he’s learned from the competition back to the farm.”It helps when you see this. This takes effort. When we go back to our farm, you put a little more effort into it, not just when you’re in competition.”This was the first year Bernie Kowalchuk of Peace River, Alta., competed in the event. He was intrigued when he watched the competition last year.As a former row cropper from Beasejour, Man., he wanted to get back into agriculture.”I missed farming,” he said.He borrowed a plow and tractor and received plenty of encouragement.”If it gets under my skin, I’ll continue.”Vic Chelick of Fairview, Alta., stood at the end of the row and was amazed at the straightness of the furrows.”Are they ever straight without a GPS. Those furrows are sure nice and even.”Ron Kimble of Grande Prairie, Alta., paired up with Kathy Miles of Clairmont, Alta., for the horse plowing event.Several members from their heavy horse club came to the plowing competition to show how farmers used to farm.”It’s a dying sport so we have to keep people interested,” Kimble said.Miles said plowing an even furrow isn’t difficult, but it takes a knack to keep the plow level.”Once you’ve tried it, you’re hooked,” she said.