| Meaford
& St. Vincent Agricultural Society ************************************** |
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The Meaford & St. Vincent Agricultural Society has been going strong for longer than Canada has been a nation! In fact, this year's Fall Fair, being held on Saturday, September 3, 2011 marks the 156th Fall Fair! The first exhibition of the St. Vincent Agricultural Society was held in the village of Meaford in 1855 on a site called the "beaver meadow". The early society struggled and as late as 1865 had only 40 members. In 1867, the township council granted the princely sum of $10 to erect pens and fences on the market square for the annual fair. Two years later, the fair was moved to Purdy's Flats after a dispute with the township council cost the society the use of the market square. The fair was moved back to Meaford five years later. The society changed sites several times over the next few years until the present site on Collingwood Street was acquired in 1905. Today, the Agricultural Society has over 250 members, with 79 directors and associate directors, all of which are volunteers. In this year's fair, there are 32 exhibiting classes, from the popular cattle show and heavy horse pull to the elementary school section, poultry show, Floriculture and Domestic Science. Apart from putting on a fair every year, the Meaford & St. Vincent Agricultural Society plans and holds fundraising events, like the Jamboree, the Beef BBQ and Fundraising Auction, sells tickets for a beautiful quilt made by one of our members, and does many other community-based projects. The Agricultural Society could not offer the prizes at the fair and do all that it does without the generous donations from local businesses and grants from the Province of Ontario, and the Municipality of Meaford. Monthly Agricultural Society meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of every month held at the Meaford Curling Club (130 Collingwood Street) at 8 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend and any ideas and degree of support is always appreciated. |
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Officers of the Agricultural
Society:
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