Photo supplied.
Greg Edgerton receives the Millbrook Agricultural Society Lifetime Member award presented by his sister Deb Post and current president Mike Lang at last month’s annual meeting.
This year’s lifetime member recipient comes from a very strong agricultural background. He lives with his wife Tammy of 18 years, two daughters Jade and Katelyn and raises beef cattle.
As a young child, he was very eager to work on the farm with his grandfather Mervin, learning the tricks of the trade. He was never one to be afraid to get his hands dirty.
Greg first became involved in Agricultural Fairs when he was just 10 years old. He grew his own flowers and vegetables with some guidance from his grandmother Lil, and exhibited them at the Peterborough Exhibition. At his first exhibition he earned 25 first prize ribbons, a trip to Toronto to do an interview on CBC radio about his success and 2 tickets to the CNE. He continued exhibiting flowers and vegetables for several years then moved into dairy and beef cattle with 4H and raised his own chickens. I can still remember hearing the chirps of the chicks hatching in the incubator and then moving them down to the basement until they were old enough to move into the chicken coop at the barn.
Greg attended Peterborough County 4H and completed over 21 projects which included life skills, vet science, dairy clubs, beef clubs and many more. The skills taught in 4H led to strong leaders, but sometimes these skills should not be practised in situations beyond the barn. For example, just because you know how to clip cattle does not mean you can cut your hair with cattle clippers….thank goodness our mother Norine was a hair dresser. She had to fix up one of Greg’s “clip jobs” before a cattle show one year. Despite her efforts, Greg’s was a little shorter on one side than the other.
Greg joined the Millbrook Agricultural Society when he was 17 years old. Not long after, the Agricultural Society decided to put the gravel roadway through the pits. Greg worked alongside Jeff Fallis and ran the bulldozer while the roadway was being constructed. During Greg’s many years on the Fair Board he was primarily responsible for the truck and tractor pull. One can only imagine the challenges and work involved with organizing three nights of pulling! While running the truck and tractor pull, he also managed the trackside chain link fencing and the track lighting.
Greg was President of the Agricultural Society in 2010 & 2011, served as Past President in 2012 & 2013 and remained a director until 2018. Greg’s dedication to the Fair Board has been very evident since the beginning. In the year he got married, he even cut his honeymoon short so he could be home to help at the fair. Sorry Tammy!!!
His dedication continues today as he mentors his youngest daughter Katelyn who shows beef cattle at the Millbrook Fair each year. Greg can be found at the west end of the tract at the firetruck on standby during the truck and tractor pull with the Cavan Monaghan Fire Department. Even though he isn’t a director, if the directors have a question or need a helping hand they can always reach out and Greg will be there.
I am very proud to present this year’s lifetime membership award to my brother, Greg Edgerton. Congratulations Greg!
By Deb Post
