International plowing match coming to Bruce County in 2026

One of North America’s marquee agricultural events is coming back to Bruce County.

“Bruce County is going to be hosting the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo come September 2026. It’s going to [be] held in the field behind me, owned by Lang Farms, Joe and Tony Lang from Walkerton,” explained Bruce County Plowmen’s Association member, Allison Pepper.

The five day long celebration of agriculture travels from Ontario community to community each year. Bruce County last hosted in 2008, and the 2026 match will be held in the same fields, west of Walkerton, where Bruce County’s first match was held nearly five decades ago in 1976.

“They put up hydro poles. They set up tents. It’s actually a tented city. A bunch of vendors come to set up. Last year in Dufferin County, over 125 jobs were directly or indirectly created from the plowing match,” said Pepper.

As many as 220,000 people have attended the outdoor agricultural extravaganza, but visitors now hover around 70,000. Bruce County has given the local Plowmen’s Association a $100,000 start up loan to get things off the ground.

Bruce County will host the 2026 International Plowing Match near Walkerton, Ont. in September 2026. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

So, while there is excitement and commitment amongst county councillors about the return of the International Plowing Match (IPM), there is also a level of cautiousness to ensure the event doesn’t end up costing taxpayers too much money.

“Had a little talk with the warden of Dufferin County. They spent $320,000 on their plowing match. He gave me a little heads up. He said, ‘You better negotiate and get your agreements down on how much you’re going to contribute, so you don’t get caught paying as much as we did.’ They only had nine months planning though, we’ve got two and half years,” said Bruce County Warden Chris Peabody.

Bruce County IPM organizers are hosting a volunteer fair in Walkerton on March 8. The Ontario Plowmen’s Association estimates the IPM creates $25 million in economic impact for each community that hosts.

“Council has given us $100,000 to start and we’re hoping that will lead to more sponsorships to make it break even or a success,” said Pepper.

“It really does showcase agriculture. Brockton is in the interior of Bruce County, in the heartland of the county’s agricultural land. We’re really excited to promote that industry that’s so important to our community,” Peabody added.