After years of planning, fundraising opportunities, donations, and community support, the Clermont County Fair Board is very proud to announce that the fairgrounds is under construction for the building of a brand new 21,000 ft. show arena with enclosed pens for hog, sheep, and goats.
The first step is the removal of all the existing barns, maintenance shop, and show arena in the south west corner of the property. This is happening very quickly, thanks to a group effort of Board members, Friends of the Fair, and 4-H parents. Old pens have been sold, and whatever can be salvaged has been put aside. Once everything has been cleared away, construction on the new metal facility can begin.
The entire project will cost around $400,000, and is being funded in part by the Friends of the Fair whose main source of income has been the pork tenderloin sandwiches they sell at the fair and the profit from the Quarter Auctions held during the fall campouts. They also have received several major corporate donations to put toward this project.
Another major contributor of this project has been the profits from spring concerts that have been held on the fairgrounds for the past several years. The Dan Varner Band has been one of several well-known bands to support this project.
Last year we had approximately 258 goat, 50 sheep and 165 hog projects which means approximately 400 4-H and/or FFA members will benefit from this endeavor. Fair Board President Dan Hodges said, “the hog and goat programs have grown tremendously and our current barns are outdated and in poor condition, they are also inadequate (size wise) for our needs. We are simply at a time when we need to make a change and grow to the next level.”
In addition, the existing show arena is not large enough to hold even a fraction of the number of people who want a seat to see the shows. Hodges said, “The new structure will be a fixture on our grounds and will show our dedication to our youth for their hard work and determination. These young people are the future of our county, our leaders for tomorrow, the driving force behind our success as a community. They are the future for our fair. They deserve the best of us and to have something they can be proud of.”
While this renovation is way overdue, coming up with the money has not been an easy task. Even with the efforts of the Board’s Barn Fund Committee, the Friends of the Fair, and the donations they have already received, they are working with a very slim budget. The Fair Board has already arranged for a line of credit for the balance of the money needed, but the amount of the loan has not been set. The more community support they receive in donations, either in kind or monetary, the less they will have to borrow –or- the more bells and whistles can be added to the project such as LED lighting which will save money in the long run but is costly to install. Hodges said, “We have a great fair family, the best volunteers, parents, grandparents, consultants, and many more. I want to personally thank everyone who has been involved in making this dream a reality, but now we are in need of some additional financial help to complete the project. I am asking for anyone who can help to contact us.”
Donations can be sent to: CCAS Barn Fund, PO Box 369, Owensville, OH 45160 or call Dan Hodges at 513-515-1927. For those of you who went through the 4-H or FFA programs in Clermont Co., now it’s your opportunity to give back to the youth of today. The Clermont Co. Agricultural Society is a non-profit organization.