Neighbouring farmers honour Bob Ready with tractor tribute

Bob Ready’s prized Ford tractor, featuring its distinctive, red-painted engine and frame, reflected both his love of farming and his well-known political loyalties.

By Gary West

Dozens of tractors lined the roads of Perth South Township last week as local farmers gathered to pay tribute to one of their own.

Family, friends and neighbours honoured the life of longtime cash-crop and egg producer Robert “Bob” Ready during his funeral service at Avonbank United Church and committal at the neighbouring Avonbank Cemetery.

A familiar face in the local farming community, Ready was well known throughout the area, not only for his dedication to agriculture but also for the friendships he built over a lifetime on the farm. He was a regular host of Friday afternoon gatherings in the Ready Acres shop, where neighbours often met to share stories and conversation.

To recognize his lifelong passion for farming, neighbours arrived at the church and cemetery aboard tractors of every make, model and colour, creating a fitting tribute for a man who spent his life working the land.

The tractor procession reflected the respect Ready earned throughout the farming community and served as a final salute from friends and neighbours who shared his love of agriculture.

Ready leaves behind a family that will carry on his agricultural legacy, as well as a community that will remember his contributions to farming and the friendships he cultivated over the years.