A barn on the Marion County Fairgrounds is growing and, for the first time in years, will house all of the rabbit and poultry entries for this year’s fair. The Senior Fair Board, who is leading the project, says construction started last week and volunteers are continuing to raise funds.
Currently, 4-H’ers in the rabbit and poultry departments are working to raise $5,000 towards the total project cost of about $13,500. Once this stage of the project, consisting of the framing, walls, and roof, is completed, fundraising will continue towards installing a concrete floor, vent fans, and more.
Funds donated through the Marion County OSU Extension Office will be matched, up to a total of $2,500, by the local 4-H Advisory Council. The council is made up of 4-H advisors, parents, volunteers, and business professionals.
Mary Longo, extension agent and 4-H director for Marion County, said the need for the barn extension is a direct result of the participation increase seen in the rabbit and poultry programs. She said this year all of the project will be in the barn and the tent, which has been needed for several years, will be no more.
Candy Tripp of the Senior Fair Board said not having to rent the large tents will save the annual fair hundreds of dollars a year. She said an Amish company is completing the construction and it should be completed quickly.
If you would like to donate to the project, you can contact Longo at 740-223-4040.
The 2012 Marion County Fair runs July 2 through July 7. You can find more information at www.veteransmemorialcoliseum.org/fair/.
About Sean DeWitt
