2020 County Fair Grants Awarded
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant
[email protected] or (651) 245-6804
Compeer Financial Awards $180K in County Fair Grants
62 Grants Awarded for County Fair Facility Improvements in Compeer Territory
Sun Prairie, Wis., (April 29, 2020) – Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 62 grants as part of their County Fair Facility Upgrade Grant Program, totaling $180,000. County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants support county fairs throughout Compeer’s territory by providing a means to improve the facilities and experiences they offer to their rural communities.
“While the status of summer activities at fairgrounds are still unknown due to COVID-19, we know our county fairs are still in need of building, equipment and grounds improvements,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial.
Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants to 181 agencies for a total impact of over $524,500. This year, the grants will touch the lives of 1.7 million people. The Fund intends to offer this grant again in March 2021.
“These grants will help improve fairground facilities and positively impact rural communities for years to come,” added Schieler. “We hope to aid fairs in providing visitors with the best experience possible as they enjoy the timeless tradition of the county fair.”
For more information about the Country Fair Facility Upgrade Program, visit compeer.com/giving-back.
The 62 organizations in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving support from the County Fair Facility Upgrade
Grant Program include:
Illinois
Boone County Fair Association — to rebuild the dairy wash rack
Henderson County Fair Association — to rebuild the livestock barn
Henry County Fair Association — to improve lighting in the primary show barn
Kankakee County Fair and Exposition, Inc — to install fans, shelving, and lights in the 4-H and judging buildings
Kendall County Fair Association — to renovate the men’s restroom
Knox County Fair — to renovate the sheep barn
Lee County Fair Association — to install a new ceiling in the main auditorium
Livingston County Ag Fair Association — to make structural repairs on the show barn
Marshall-Putnam Fair Association — to repair the roof of the arts hall
McDonough County 4H Building & Grounds Corp — to install new fencing in the horse arena
Ogle County Fair — to add new pens in the sheep and goat barn
Rock Island County Fair — to renovate four different restroom buildings
Sandwich Fair Association Inc — to make roofing repairs on the dairy building
Schuyler County Fair — to do post replacements and electrical upgrades in the barns
Stephenson County Fair Association — to improve ventilation in the beef barn and improve lighting in the dairy barn
Veterans Memorial Fair Association — to remodel a women’s restroom
The Warren County Agricultural Fair Association — to replace livestock pens
Western Illinois Fair Association — to replace livestock pen gates and install new aluminum bleachers in the show arena
Whiteside County Fair — to make repairs to windows in the beef, dairy, and horse barns
Winnebago County Fair Association Inc — to improve electrical and roofing in the cattle barn
Minnesota
Benton County Ag Society/Benton Co Fair — to make renovations to the poultry barn
Brown County Agricultural Society — to wire electric power to the horse arena and build a shade and shelter structure over the show arena
Cannon Valley Fair — to replace pens in the goat and sheep barn
Carlton County Fair — to update lighting in the sheep, goat, and cattle barns
Carver County Agricultural Society dba Carver County Fair — to install ventilation fans in the poultry barn and to update blacktop throughout the fairgrounds
Faribault County Fair — to make improvements to the Children’s Barnyard roof
Freeborn County Fair — to upgrade bathroom and shower facilities
Itasca County Agricultural Association — to improve roofing and lighting in the cattle barn
Kanabec County Fair — to add a new roof on the old barn
Le Sueur County Fair — to add a concrete sidewalk in the show arena
McLeod County Fair — to purchase new corral panels
Mower County Fair — to implement lighting upgrades in the swine barn
Murray County Agricultural Society — to replace the tarp on the Hoop Barn
Nobles County 4-H — to install an overhead fan for the livestock show arena
Pipestone County Agricultural Society — to upgrade the electrical in the 4-H and FFA swine barn
Scott County Agricultural Society — to replace the doors on the 4-H building and the windows on the cattle and miracle of birth barns
Sherburne County Agricultural Society — to add new pens and upgrades to the swine area
Wabasha County Fair — to build a handicap accessible walkway for several fair buildings
Watonwan County Agricultural Association — to rebuild the main fair entrance and purchase a commercial freezer for the 4-H food stand
Wright County 4-H — to install a convection oven and new coffee maker for the food stand
Wisconsin
Ashland County Fair Association — to update the rabbit and chicken barns
Barron County Junior Livestock Project — to purchase a set of cattle panels for the beef barn
Blakes Prairie Fair — to add new poles and concrete reinforcements for the sheep, goat, and swine barn
Calumet County Agricultural Association — to make updates to the rabbit and poultry barn
Dunn County Fair — to pour a concrete floor in the sheep and llama barn and make upgrades to the milk house
Eau Claire County Friends of the Fair — to purchase two portable PA systems, Chromebooks, and portable scanners
Elroy Fair Inc — to make a roof and sidewall replacement on the exhibit building
Fond du Lac County 4-H Horse and Pony Project — to install new barn fans
Fond du Lac County 4-H Small Animal project — to install new turkey cages
Green Lake County Fair — to update the electrical panel in the swine barn
Iowa County Fair Society — to make structural and electrical repairs to the beef barn
Iron County Fair Association — to install a new concrete floor and wash rack in the cattle barn
Jefferson County Fair Park — to install new electrical, lighting fixtures, and pens for the swine barn
La Crosse County Agricultural Society — to upgrade electrical wiring in the sheep and goat barns
Lafayette County Fair — to add steel sleeves for posts in the sheep and swine barn
New Haven Helping Hands 4-H Club — to replace rabbit and poultry cages
Pierce County Fair — to build a lean-to shelter for the livestock scale
Polk County Fair Society Inc. — to make updates and improvements to the 4-H and open class exhibit building
Richland County Fair — to make electrical improvements to the dairy barn and upgrade the dairy wash rack
Rusk County Jr. Fair — to purchase new rabbit cages
Trempealeau County Agricultural Society — to repair roof leaks in the Farm Progress Arena
Walworth County Agricultural Society Inc — to install rain gutters and make repairs on the dairy, sheep, and small animal barns and the activity center
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of education, youth engagement, rural development and community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, and cooperative initiatives. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $22.2 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.
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