SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, is supporting county fairs with grants to improve facilities and experiences offered to rural communities across the Upper Midwest.
Sixty-four fairs in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin received County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants this year, totaling $244,500.
“Our aim with these grants is to positively impact the future of our rural communities,” said Karen Schieler, Compeer Financial senior corporate giving specialist.
“Fairs are the highlight of summer for many of these communities and we hope this will help provide the best possible experience for exhibitors and visitors as they enjoy this important tradition.”
Since the program was established in 2018, the fund has awarded 304 County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants for a total impact of over $944,742, touching the lives of 8.7 million fair organizers, participants and attendees. The fund intends to offer this grant again in March 2023.
The Illinois organizations in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving support from the County Fair Facility Upgrade Grant Program include:
• Henderson County Fair Association — new gutters for the livestock barn.
• Henry County Fair Association — painting the swine, sheep and goat show barn,
• Jo Daviess County Agricultural Society — repurposing one of the livestock buildings to a show ring, including new barn lime, replacing boards and electrical.
• Kane County Fair — replacing siding on the rabbit and poultry barns.
• Kankakee County Fair and Exposition Inc. — purchasing lumber, cages and wire to construct new pens for the poultry barns and repairing or replacing pens in the rabbit barn.
• Kendall County Fair Association Inc. — electric service upgrades to the 4-H livestock pavilion.
• Knox County Agricultural Board and Fair Association — upgrades to the roof and replacing doors on the livestock area restroom and the livestock area pavilion roof and pillars.
• Lee County Fair Association — purchasing and installing large ceiling fans over the show rings.
• Livingston County Ag Fair — updating electrical wiring in the beef and dairy cattle barns.
• Marshall-Putnam Fair Association — hog barn roof and building repairs.
• McDonough County 4-H Buildings and Grounds Corp. — complete electrical framework installation and PA system for livestock show arena.
• Ogle County Fair Association — replacing electrical outlets, repairing conduct and replacing breakers in barns, replacing wooden electrical panel mounts with metal mounts and installing underground conduct for new transformer.
• Rock Island County Agricultural Fair Association — installing concrete flooring in the calf birthing barn.
• Sandwich Fair Association Inc. — replacing rotten boards and preparation for and painting of the swine barn.
• Stephenson County Fair Association — updating the electrical in the barns.
• The Warren County Agricultural Fair Association — updating electrical wiring and capacity in the livestock barns and judging arenas.
• Veterans Memorial Fair Association — repairing guttering and drainage for the covered walkway between the livestock buildings and the livestock review building.
• Western Illinois Fair Association — updating lighting and electric with a new service panel and replacing water lines in livestock barns.
• Whiteside County Central Agricultural Society — repairing structural posts and exterior boards in beef and dairy barns.
• Winnebago County Fair Association — replacing roof support posts, repainting and replacing pen gates in the sheep barn.
About The Fund
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 1% of annual net earnings to support the fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment, and youth engagement.
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.