Rural Delivery magazine's hand mowing championships shows if you can cut it

Rural Delivery magazine of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, is hosting its 8th annual Maritime Hand Mowing Championships on August 27 at the Ross Farm museum in New Ross, N.S., the province's only working heritage farm. If you're in the neighbourhood, demonstrations get underway 9 a.m. with the main event 1 p.m. after a BBQ lunch.

The event, which costs nothing to enter except to bring your own scythe, emphasizes speed, but also quality. If you wondered how the latter is judged, it's the "three S's" -- straight (leaving a straight edge), stubble (as short as possible) and smooth (even across the full width -- no "golf swings" and divots).

According to the RD website, the 2010 champ was Jonathan Zeidman from Summerville, Hants County, N.S. (shown above) competing for only the second time. 
(Photo: Bob Hutt)