Tobe Cobe Jr. is a flash from the past with a fresh face

Chatham-Kent residents have no doubt seen Tobe Cobe Jr. around, taking part in a number of community events and helping generate buzz for this year’s International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM).

The IPM 2018 ran from September 18 to 22 in Pain Court, Ontario.

Some folks may think this friendly, tomato-headed mascot looks familiar. They’re right. He’s based on the mascot for the 1979 IPM, held in Kent County, Tobe Cobe.

You may be wondering how Tobe Cobe’s name came to be. Well, it’s reflective of the local agricultural production in 1979:

TO – Tomato, BE – Beef, CO – Corn, BE – Beans.

And since the 2018 IPM mascot is a reinvented version, we made him a junior, updated to reflect the current agricultural production in Chatham-Kent:

TO – Tomato, BE – Beets, CO – Corn, BE – Beans.

To follow Tobe Cobe Jr.'s adventures, check out his Facebook page.

Tobe Cobe Jr. travelled throughout Canada and beyond to spread word about the upcoming IPM. Here’s a selection of photos from his journey.

Here’s a brief biography of the original Tobe Cobe:

The most recognizable figure of the 1979 International Plowing Match, Tobe Coby was also the most unforgettable.

With a tomato for a head, a beefy chest and shoulders, legs of corn and beans for feet, he's Tobe Cobe, the colourful agricultural symbol which represents Kent County, the host county for the Match.

In both name and appearance, this caricature represents the crops for which Kent County is best known.

Tobe Cobe is the brainchild of Reg Denure.

Since his creation, the original Tobe Cobe has participated in countless parades and fairs, including the 1978 Grey Cup parades in Toronto and the 1979 International Freedom Festival parade in Windsor.