Discover Farming at Niagara’s Plowing Match 2025

Mar 20, 2025
By Farms.com

Canada’s Biggest Plowing Match Comes to Niagara

For the first time since 1926, Niagara Region will host the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) 2025, a major agricultural event bringing together farmers, exhibitors, and visitors from across Canada. This five-day event will run from September 16 to September 20 at the West Niagara Fairgrounds, offering a mix of agriculture, heritage, and modern farm technology.

The Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) established the IPM in 1913 to celebrate farming and rural life. Over the years, it has grown into Canada’s largest rural expo, attracting tens of thousands of attendees. The highlight remains the plowing competitions, where participants use horse-drawn plows and advanced tractors to showcase their skills.

In addition to the competitions, visitors can explore interactive farm exhibits, rural goods and services, animal showcases, and daily entertainment. The event will also feature a rodeo, live demonstrations, and a tented city showcasing innovations in agriculture and farming technology.

Local organizers, including co-chair Renate McGillivray, are thrilled to welcome guests to the region. “We have a lot to offer in this part of the province and we couldn’t be happier to be hosting this year’s event,” said McGillivray.

Planning is in full swing, and organizers encourage people to get involved as sponsors, exhibitors, or volunteers. Those interested can visit www.plowingmatch.org/IPM2025 or follow updates on Facebook (2025 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo).

Photo Credit: Milton Young

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.