Ross Farm Museum hosts Maritime Hand-Mowing championships

BY JOHN DECOSTE

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com



The Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, Lunenburg Co. was the venue for the fourth annual Maritime Hand-Mowing championships held Saturday, Aug. 25.

Competitors had to mow, by hand, a 25-foot long stand of grain, and were judged in terms of speed, technique, the width of the swath and height of the stubble.

The mowers ranged from 10-year-old Noel Gezer and her 13-year-old sister Kimberly of Lower Burlington, Hants Co. to 96-years-young David Miller of Fall River.

Glenn Ells and Bill Swetnam of Sheffield Mills and Hencie Hiltz of Forties served as judges for the competition, which was first held in 2004.

According to event organizer Dirk Van Loon, the event is held annually as a means of promoting "learning, sharing and keeping the traditional skills alive."

This was the first time the annual competition took place at Ross Farm, Nova Scotia's working farm museum.