Residents interested in volunteering for the 2027 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) in Lambton County can learn more during an upcoming information night.
A Volunteer Information Night and Agricultural Hall Tour will be held on Thursday, March 26, at Lambton Heritage Museum in Grand Bend.
Lambton IPM Committee Chair Dennis Bryson said they're hoping to have 800 to 1,000 volunteers sign up.
"That will depend on whether they're willing to volunteer more than one day... that'll make a difference," he said.
Bryson said there are over 50 categories where volunteers are needed, ranging from plowing to preparing lunches. He said there's also room for handy workers, such as carpenters.
"We have all kinds of skillsets needed," he said.
If students would like to volunteer, Bryson said there will be opportunities available.
"There's watering the shrubs, there's garbage collection at the end of the day," he said. "School kids, those needing high school hours, we can help them out with that, I am very sure."
The 2027 IPM is scheduled to take place in Brigden in late September.
Bryson said there have been some delays in the planning process but he's eager to start moving on events leading up to the IPM. The goal is to have 100,000 people in attendance.
"We're going to have something, I hope, for all audiences," he said. "I know agriculture is the root of it all, but at the same time, that life has changed in the last 36 years somewhat and so we very much know we have to have something for all audiences and we're going to do our best."
Registration is not required in order to attend the Volunteer Information Night and free Agricultural Hall Tour.
The March 26 event will begin at 6:15 p.m. Museum Supervisor Dana Thorne will show guests the newly renovated Agricultural Hall, which showcases Lambton’s plowing history.
“Not only will visitors learn more about Lambton County’s plowing history, but they’ll also see highlights like Lambton Agricultural Hall of Famer Jerry Ferguson’s championship tractor and plow,” said Thorne in a media release.
Following the tour, the information session will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The IPM was previously held in Lambton County in 1923, 1973, and 1991.
