Sierra, according to the agreed upon rules, had to pull in second gear, but managed to get the job done with her dad along for the ride. Tinkess Photo

EDWARDS – Earl Stanley obviously has connections or at least knows the right people because almost without fail the weather each year on the day that Tractor Jam takes place is about as perfect as you could imagine.

This year was no exception: clear blue skies, warm temperatures and just enough of a breeze to keep things from getting too uncomfortable once the big wheels start to turn and the dust starts to fly.

The gates opened at 10:00 a.m. and as always entrance was by way of donation, with members of the Carleton County Junior Farmers greeting everyone as they turned in.

Registration for those who hadn’t registered online also opened at 10:00 a.m. and there was a steady stream of people to the registration tent throughout the morning.

As a bit of a warm-up, and no doubt as a way to get newcomers interested in coming back in coming years, there was a novice category available for first-time drivers which ran from about 11:20 until just after noon. Stewart James of James Auction Services did the announcing for the event, and as he told the crowd, once you give it a try, you’ll be out looking for your own tractor so that you can come back next year.

Leah Barkley was the first in line, and despite having no experience, she had a very acceptable pull, and probably will be back again, especially since her dad Scott was scheduled to pull later in the day. And as the first of the day, she received an extra special introduction from Stewart James.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, when Leah is getting ready here, Leah has never pulled in her life right here,” said James. “So, this is the novice class. We want to welcome young pullers, and Leah, she’s going to have a thrill right here. She’s also pulling a very, very nice tractor, a 190 XD owned by the Stanley family. All right, you see the green light there?  She’s good to go. So, cheer on Leah, right here, watch her go, 190 XD!”

He’s right too. Standing there watching the action, it’s hard to ignore that idea that passes through your mind that this looks like fun. I wouldn’t mind giving that a try. How about a media challenge?

One thing that must quickly become obvious, even to someone who just stopped by for the day, is that there is a family theme and a heritage that runs through the entire event, whether you’re talking about the drivers, or the tractors themselves which are sometimes better known than the people driving them. There is connection, to the place, to the people, and to the things they use.

If you talk with Earl Stanley, you understand how  happy is the way in which young people are choosing farming as a way of life, and in that way continuing the tradition. The Carleton Junior Farmers are annually a part of the event, proving themselves ready and able whenever the torch needs to be passed. You can see how Earl Stanley takes a half-step back each year, allowing the next generation to show what they can do.

“You know what? Asked Earl. “This is so nice to see that it’s done what I wanted. We’ve got the next generation stepping up and taking on, more each year.

“All these kids, all with a connection to the farm and the families around here. Couldn’t ask for more.”

There was one special event however, that Earl had to be involved in and that was a bit of a competition between his daughters Kendra and Sierra, and soon to be son-in-law Aaron Hawes. The only rule: Kendra had to pull in first gear, Sierra in second, and Aaron in third. Who won? Who knows, when it’s family, it’s the doing more than the winning that counts.

Besides, at the end of the day, the real winner was Agriculture Wellness Ontario and Brain Tumour foundation of Canada, the recipients of the days proceeds.

The last pull of the day was scheduled to take place by 4:25 p.m., and by the dust settled, you could be sure of two things. The first was that it was a great way for families to spend the day, and second, that the Stanley family were probably already thinking about what next year’s Tractor Jam would bring.