Paisley area farmer and former Chair of the Bruce County 2008 International Plowing Match Jack Riley is the 2009 Tommy Cooper Award Winner.
The award was presented to Riley by Bayshore Broadcasting and the Sun Times Friday evening in Elmwood.
Riley has been a member of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture for 35 years and is the past chair of the Bruce County Plowman’s Association.
Riley says a lot of the things he has been involved in over the years involve volunteers, which he says are the main fabric of Rural life in Grey Bruce.
Riley says when he was approached to Chair the International Plowing Match, he made a conscious decision to make sure all the volunteer chairs were from every part of Bruce County, so the entire region had a bit of ownership in the event.
He says that is one of the reasons the event was such a success.
Riley also says his optimistic attitude has helped him and his family weather many ups and downs that have been part of the agricultural landscape over the years.
His advice for any young person considering farming as a career.
Don’t be deterred by the high cost of getting into the agriculture business which he dsecribes as a wonderful opportunity.
However he can understand their reluctance to get into a business that requires such an initial investment, and cant guarantee substantial returns in the future.
The Tommy Cooper award goes to the person who has made the greatest contribution to agriculture and rural living.
It has been awarded annually since 1959.