HCPM26: President Ross McIntosh looks ahead to Huron County Plowing Match
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Attending the Huron County Plowing Match (HCPM) is a welcome break for busy farmers. But bringing this annual celebration of rural tradition to life is no small feat. It takes months of planning by a dedicated team of volunteers, many of whom also have their own farms to tend.
For Huron County Plowmen’s Association (HCPA) president Ross McIntosh, plowing match preparations fit into a schedule that already revolves around a busy egg farming operation. “An average day starts around 6:30 or 7,” McIntosh told The Citizen. “We don’t have to be at the barn real early - after breakfast, I head over to make sure the time clocks are doing their thing, the chickens have had their first run of feed, and the water is on… I always say that the girls are singing - if they’re all sounding as they should, then I know everything is normal in the morning. I know the girls are happy.”
That morning ritual is just the beginning of a day that is often punctuated with chicken-oriented construction projects and routine farm maintenance. “We set up the pullet barn this morning,” he explained. “There were 10 of us here, getting everything ready. The day-old chicks come next Tuesday, so we’re preparing the barn for them.”
This year, McIntosh has the added responsibility of overseeing one of Huron County’s largest agricultural events. His involvement with the association has grown over several years, and he credits the people around him for making the transition into a leadership role an easy one. With the support of a strong team, McIntosh has embraced his first year as HCPA president. “It’s always nice to give back to something when you’ve enjoyed it before,” he pointed out. “It’s a good group to be involved with. There’s always lots of help within the executive from people who’ve been in the position before, and that’s been really beneficial for me - you can grow from that.”
With the 2026 match set for Aug. 20-21, McIntosh is pleased at how smoothly preparations are progressing thus far. “There’s a whole menu of different things to get ready for,” he explained. “You have to organize the plowing site, the judges, the food and everything else… but it always seems to happen. We always start well in advance - all the organizing is coming together well as we prepare for the match,” he said. “The plans are well underway - the site looks really good, and there’s enough land to have everything happening on just one property.”
There is a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, before and after the first plows enter Nelson Underwood’s field. While keeping things running smoothly will occupy McIntosh’s time for most of the two-day event, he still hopes to spend a little time enjoying himself. “I like getting out to watch the plowing,” he confessed. “It’s always good to see the young people coming out. There’s a good mix of guys and girls now, and they make it a good time.”
He believes that the HCPM has something to offer for everyone. “You really have to come out and see it,” he recommended. “Get there early! Ask questions, and talk to the plowmen - they’re out there, trying to make every furrow straight and keep everything uniform. People need to come out and see what it's all about!”