Directors of the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association met in Kemptville Jan. 22 to go over plans for their 80th successive annual seed show, a tradition launched in Renfrew County in 1927.

In the 1950s, the show was moved to Lansdowne Park in Ottawa and expanded into the Ottawa Valley Farm Show which once again this year will feature more than 300 exhibitors occupying all available inside space. This year’s dates are March 13-15.

The OVFS is the largest trade show of any kind held in Ottawa and the largest annual agricultural show east of Toronto. The seed display remains at the core of the event.

“To keep drawing exhibitors and visitors during good times and bad for all those years… you have to be doing something right,” said Seed Growers president Keith Matthie.

General Manager Tom Van Dusen emphasized you don’t have to be a full-time farmer to benefit from attending the Farm Show: “While there’s an emphasis on larger equipment, there’s something for everybody with a rural interest, from the smaller machinery, to environmental booths, to financial services, to a few specialty food displays.”

Every day of the show, there are educational seminars offered by exhibitors; on day one, there’s the official opening with guest speaker, day two the seed award presentations, and day three, there’s the annual Prestigious Pedigreed Seed Sale for charity, with more than $60,000 raised to date for CHEO.

In other business, directors heard that a candidate they sponsored, the late Barclay Dick of Renfrew County, has been accepted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame, they decided to place an exhibit at the Eastern Ontario Crop Conference Feb. 22, they approved a $300 contribution for the 97th annual meeting and convention of the Ontario Plowmen’s Association in Brockville March 1-4, and they were briefed by Scott Banks on the results of cereal leaf disease management research which they helped sponsor.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tom Van Dusen, 613-445-3407
January 24, 2007
SEED GROWERS GET SET FOR 80TH ANNUAL FARM SHOW