The history of local agriculture is producing a bounty as interesting as the plants and livestock local farmers nurture.
The Prince George Exhibition has a long menu of displays, exhibits and competitions designed around the city's current agriculture wares, but a significant component of their 100th anniversary is devoted to the deeply rooted history of farming in this area.
"The Prince George Farmers Institute started our fair," said Nancy Loreth, the PGX's veteran director and this year's board president. "They wanted to show what could be done here. They showed everyone we could produce a lot around here. We have had the support of the area's farmers institutes every year since then, we have them all in the Kin 2 display area, and this year they've really done some extra things for our 100th anniversary."
One of the founding farmers of the PGX was R.J. Blackburn (a Pinewood neighbourhood bears his name today) and the Blackburn family contributed several artifacts to the historical displays seen at this year's fair, located inside the gymnastics club building (its original use was an army drill hall; it and the grounds were donated to the PGX following the Second World War).
Beaverly farmers Betty and Terry Nelson also donated several artifacts, including a gas station facade they constructed to wrap around the restored Model T Ford and vintage gas pump set up in the history building. Loreth said this display would be transplanted, at the end of the fair, to the Nelson's front yard.
There is a special pictorial of the tractor demonstrations provided over the years by the late Harry Burt, a 1955 Pontiac loaned by George Windsor set up to illustrate the car raffle that used to fund the PGX starting in 1957, and Fred Wheel's horse-drawn wagon was also loaned to the event for the historical display.
Beside the wagon is a giant placard depicting Uncle Ben's beer, along with some other Ben Ginter items from the time when this industrial magnate was both the propeller of Pacific Western Brewery, local construction, and a noted cattleman.
"Ben Ginter was a director of the PGX board," said Loreth. "He showed his purebred cattle here at the fair."
She also referenced former longtime mayor and business owner Harold Moffatt as a major backer over the years.
"He was such a supporter that you used to be able to drop off your exhibits at Northern Hardware and they would bring them up to us," she said.
In addition to the historical displays, the fair is also spotlighting bullriding, dog agility races, team penning competitions, heavy horse pulls, pig and duck races, barrel racing makes a comeback this year, and of course the exhibit halls filled with the areas best crops, homemade food products and livestock.
Leading the way with the animals are the members of the region's 4-H Clubs. On display in the history building is a giant cheque made out to the PGX by the district's 4-Hers for $2,474.82 on May 26, 1992. With the in-house resources from the City of Prince George and PGX body itself, that was all the money required to build the 4-H barns now used by today's young agriculture enthusiasts.
"4-H has been such a big part of the PGX," said Loreth, "It really is wonderful to see how they have supported the fair over the years, and how the public can come to the fair and support them."
