The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM for short) is an annual event held in cities and towns across Canada. This year I was fortunate enough that it was hosted in my neck of the woods. Only two times before 2018 has the match been held in Chatham-Kent, once in the 1960’s and once in the 1980’s.The site of the tented city of the 1980’s match is on a farm on the outskirts of Chatham on Maynard Line and is immortalized by a plaque marking the spot. This year’s Plowing Match was held on a farm in Pain Court and let me tell you it was amazing. It was my first match I ever attended and the environment was as country like as you could get. Volunteers guided you to your parking spot and a tractor drawn wagon drove you to the Tented city where there were a lot of vendors selling everything from tractors and antiques to the latest in farming technology and of course what festival would be complete without food vendors, and there were quite a lot. There were also souvenir tents and others. My dad and I went into a tent and heard a biblical story pertaining to five colored beads and in return for listening to the story they gave us each a handcrafted walking stick. There were also 2018 International Plowing Match souvenirs. I bought myself and my mom a couple of gifts I got myself a set of Coasters for my desk and my mom a wine glass and flag and my Dad bought my mom a plush doll of Tobe Kobe the plowing match mascot.
My Dad and I also went on a helicopter ride and I thought i was going to be afraid but I guess that my fears were alleviated due to being in an airplane in 2011 going to Myrtle Beach and Statistically speaking helicopters are the safest way to travel.
