Maryland Town Holds

2013 - Volume #37, Issue #5, Page #44

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Maryland Town Holds "Blessing Of The Combines"

Tip: If you plan on having a parade of combines in a small town, you only need 8 or 9 of the big machines. They tend to fill up a street quickly.
    Folks in Snow Hill, Md., know that because they’ve hosted a “Blessing of the Combines” for 15 years. It’s an event that draws a big crowd and has become an annual tradition for locals and city folks from nearby states.
    The idea came from a brainstorming session about how to bring people to the rural town located between Ocean City and the Chesapeake Bay. Snow Hill is in the midst of farmland in the Delmarva Peninsula where wheat, corn, soybeans and other crops are grown mostly as feed for large poultry-growing operations.
    Huge combines are a common sight for the locals, but a curiosity to city visitors bound for ocean vacations. Each year on the first Saturday of August, Snow Hill volunteers vacate main street of cars, chalk out spaces for vendors, bring in animals for a petting barnyard, and invite local farmers to show off their combines and old tractors in a parade followed by the blessing.
    Everyone takes the blessing part of the event very seriously, says Kathy Fisher, who handles publicity.
    “When the homily and blessing are given, people are quiet with many bowed heads,” she says. Local pastors take turns each year to pray for safety, good weather and a successful harvest. Later, visitors get to talk to the farmers about their combines, climb aboard, and take photos of their kids with the farm machinery.
    “It helps build good will for combines when in transit on the roads. And it helps to build a respect for the work these men and women do,” Fisher notes. “It’s neat to watch the interaction.”
    An older farmer leads off the parade with a horse-drawn combine to show the great contrast in eras. His is the only combine with a header. Modern headers are too big to fit down the narrow streets of the town, which was chartered in 1686.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Blessing of the Combines, 230 S. Washington St., Snow Hill, Md. 21863 (ph 410 632-1265; kfisher44@verizon.net; www.blessingofthecombines.org).

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Maryland Town Holds Blessing Of The Combines COMBINES Miscellaneous Tip: If you plan on having a parade of combines in a small town you only need 8 or 9 of the big machines They tend to fill up a street quickly Folks in Snow Hill Md know that because they’ve hosted a “Blessing of the Combines” for 15 years It’s an event that draws a big crowd and has become an annual tradition for locals and city folks from nearby states The idea came from a brainstorming session about how to bring people to the rural town located between Ocean City and the Chesapeake Bay Snow Hill is in the midst of farmland in the Delmarva Peninsula where wheat corn soybeans and other crops are grown mostly as feed for large poultry-growing operations Huge combines are a common sight for the locals but a curiosity to city visitors bound for ocean vacations Each year on the first Saturday of August Snow Hill volunteers vacate main street of cars chalk out spaces for vendors bring in animals for a petting barnyard and invite local farmers to show off their combines and old tractors in a parade followed by the blessing Everyone takes the blessing part of the event very seriously says Kathy Fisher who handles publicity “When the homily and blessing are given people are quiet with many bowed heads ” she says Local pastors take turns each year to pray for safety good weather and a successful harvest Later visitors get to talk to the farmers about their combines climb aboard and take photos of their kids with the farm machinery “It helps build good will for combines when in transit on the roads And it helps to build a respect for the work these men and women do ” Fisher notes “It’s neat to watch the interaction ” An older farmer leads off the parade with a horse-drawn combine to show the great contrast in eras His is the only combine with a header Modern headers are too big to fit down the narrow streets of the town which was chartered in 1686 Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Blessing of the Combines 230 S Washington St Snow Hill Md 21863 ph 410 632-1265; kfisher44@verizon net; www blessingofthecombines org

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