It’s fair to say that I enjoyed the 188th Fergus Fall Fair last weekend. Well done, everyone.
In a world that feels out of control, there is something about the traditions upheld in an agricultural event like this that honours our past while reminding us that these values – community, land stewardship, animal welfare and protecting agricultural land – are needed to carry us into the future.
Farmers are the real deal. Their livelihood is at the mercy of the unpredictable power of nature, the variable of global markets and politics too. Humbling and honest work, hands-on and gritty, whether it’s a giant farm or a little market stand. This fair connects us to the food that feeds us and the hard working families who grow it with integrity and care.
For me, there is a quality of life that I want to see protected, even though I know that is a challenge. Maybe it’s a sentimental age thing. I’ve watched every town I lived in erode its landscape to make way for subdivisions and manufacturing plants and strip malls to accommodate growth and convenience. Friend’s farms sold for big bucks to make way for a highway. Progress and payouts, but soulless all the same.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for housing, for employment opportunities, for communities to grow and thrive. I have lived in subdivisions. I have lived on rural properties. I know which one I would choose if I could afford it. I shop at malls. I’ve driven the highways through what was once prime land. I’m as guilty as everyone else for wanting change, but also fearing it. Urban sprawl will never make me feel at ease.
It’s the quality of life that perhaps I’ve romanticized, but I know a cup of coffee under the porch of a barn, watching the sun rise with chickens running about squawking, is the best tasting coffee I have ever had in my life. I miss it.
The Fergus Fall Fair hits differently when your children become adults. It’s full of cherished memories of taking them to see farm animals, play in the corn bins, look at the giant tractors and of course, the midway. It was endearing to visit this year with my daughter and her best friend, now adults, and see them feel both the nostalgia and still share some of the same excitements. The biggest pumpkin, the massive tractors, the cows being groomed for show. It never gets old.
My family walked the rows of the indoor displays remarking on the importance of agricultural traditions. There is nothing corny about the giant stalks of corn. We took our time, strolled the displays, looking at the eggs, the vegetables, the baking, the artwork by local school kids, the artistry and tapestry of talented craftworkers. We saw a winning ribbon on a painting by our friend Sherree who we’ve known since we landed here. My bestie Sara, who entered a quilt for her first time, earned second place. I’m proud of my friend Emilia who bravely ran for fair ambassador. That takes guts. My friend Jade’s volunteerism and participation is inspiring. She entered so many things I couldn’t believe it.
The next generation of agriculture is in capable hands. Let’s ensure their future. Next up, Erin Fall Fair. Can’t wait.
