Ag Days sees high attendance

The fourth annual Ag Days is being hailed a success by its organizers, with more than 60 people in attendance both Friday and Saturday at the Barwick recreation hall for the trade show, seed fair and lecture series.
The trade show was packed with exhibits, ranging from farm equipment, to elk breeders, to local businesses and service groups.
“There’s a real good representation from the business community,” noted organizer Lyle Wheatley.
The business community also came out big as sponsors for event in the form of door prizes, noted Kim Jo Calder, another Ag Days organizer.
Calder pointed out the trade show experienced tremendous growth from last year despite the fact there were several last-minute booth cancellations.
The lecture series also went over well with the participants this year. The highlight this year seemed to be motivational speaker Elaine Froese, who spoke both Friday morning and again Friday evening during a Rainy River Federation of Agriculture dinner and dance.
“She pointed out that through our hard times of farming there are more important things to think about, such as your health and family,” Calder said.
The only bit of a let down, if you could call it that, would have been the number of entrants in the seed fair and forage competition. Wheatley said numbers were about the same as last year with maybe a few more entries in the hay categories.
He said those who plan to organize the seed fair for Ag Days next year are going to have to take on a fair bit in trying to encourage more participation but he was confidant the event could be revived.
“I think it can still be part of [Ag Days],” he stressed.
Results from the seed fair and forage competition were:
•second cut hay (75 percent or more legume)–Ken Vogan first; Rick Boersma, second;
•second cut hay (50% or more legume)–Rudy Sinninghe, first; Brent Miller, second; Tammy Hunsperger, third;
•second cut hay (50 percent or less legume)–Ken Vogan, first; Wayne Flatt, second; Rudy Sinninghe, third;
•first cut silage/haylage (75 percent or more legume)–Bill Romyn, first; Bernie Zimmerman, second;
•second cut haylage (75 percent or more legume)–Peter VanHeyst, first; Rudy Sinninghe, second;
•small grains silage–Amos Brielmann of Pine River Ranch, first;
•corn silage–Rudy Sinninghe, first; Lyle Wheatley, second;
•soybeans–Lyle Wheatley;
•barley–Bernie Zimmerman;
•oats–Bernie zimmerman;
•dried beans–Lyle Wheatley;
•trefoil–Peter Stewart;
•vegetables–Peter Stewart; and
•innovative devices–Dennis Boersma;