The lights on Clan Gregor Square have been turned on, the parade wound around the village, and Santa has made his first appearance. These are sure signs that we all need to be getting ready for Christmas. The Bayfield Agricultural Society will make your decorating easier if you need a wreath or tail. There are a few left after the sale this past weekend and can be seen at John’s by calling 519 565 2479 or order one through Don at 519 263 2404. They are all made from local greens and the money goes to support the upcoming fair in August.
A highlight for the Bayfield Agricultural Society is the Annual General Meeting. This will be held in the basement of St. Andrew’s United Church on Friday November 24. Food is always a major focus of the organization so the evening begins with a potluck dinner with people arriving at 5:30 with the meal beginning at 6:00 p.m. There is always lots of food with the main course for many of those attending being the desserts. Special awards will be presented at 7:15 to 9 members with years of service followed by two very distinctive Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies’ awards –one achievement and one meritorious. David Pullen, County forest conservation officer, will speak at 7:30 p.m. tying together forestry, fishing, and farming which is the theme of the fair for 2018. David is well known for his presentations and he is looking forward to speaking in Bayfield and sharing his views on his passion –the preservation of forestry land. The Annual Meeting begins at 8 to summarize what the current year achieved and put the people in place for organizing the goals for 2018. Everyone is welcome to any portion of the evening and learn a little of the organization and what its mandate is.
The Society is planning to take on a major building project in the coming months. The pet display building is now past its prime and needs some major renovations and the decision was to replace it entirely. There is also a need to store paper, ribbon, and boxed supplies in one location. A plan is to build a 30 x 50 foot structure solely for storage and then for use as a pet display building during the fair. Building costs have increased considerably over the past few months due to forest fires in B.C. and hurricanes in Florida. This has put the cost to nearly $100 000. Supporters of the Ag Society and its work are asked to contact us at info@bayfieldfair.ca. We have started the conversations about how you can help us achieve our goals. This is one time when we really do need our supporters. It has been a long time since a building was contemplated.