Reflecting on the first outdoor farm show

Jack Bonham remembers attending the first one almost 25 years ago

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

2017 marks the 24^th anniversary of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, but there couldn’t be 24 farm shows if there wasn’t a first one.

And a select few, like 91-year-old Jack Bonham with JB Enterprises, can recall the atmosphere around the first outdoor farm show more than two decades ago.

“(The first outdoor show was in 1994) in Burford (Ont.),” he told Farms.com today. “That’s where (the late Ginty Jocius) started. It was really a good show. A lot of people showed up because they’d never been to any outdoor show before. I was quite surprised at how many people we did get (into the show).”

Bonham has attended every show since the first one and is impressed with its growth.

“(The show) has kept growing bigger and bigger,” he said. “I would say it’s at least three times the size of what it was when we first started. The new farm equipment has (also) really grown.”