Poultry Barn Project

Proposed Construction: Spring of 2027 or before

The Poultry and Waterfowl program needs your help! This program has long been an integral part of the Northwestern Michigan Fair for many years. It provides a tremendous opportunity for young people who wish to participate in the poultry/waterfowl program without having to live on a farm or needing to have access to a farm to raise a large project. There is an increase in youth who would love to be able to show, learn, and extend their knowledge to other potential youth who might want to join the program.

Over the past 5 years, the numbers of participants have steadily increased to the point where the program has outgrown the size of the barn. We thought about trying to improve the barn, but the cost of the improvements that are needed would outweigh the cost of a new barn. Instead, we are asking for help from our awesome community to raise funds for a new and much safer barn. As far as the improvements that are needed are as follows:

● Ventilation needs to be increased so that the poultry do not stress in stagnant air.

● The concrete floor needs to be re-leveled due to the outer perimeter not having concrete, causing a drop that severely creates a tripping hazard, and additionally, the floor has a poor grade, so it is difficult to get water to drain out of the building.

● Replacing the floor would also allow the pens and cages to sit squarely on the floor instead of being unlevel, causing them to wiggle, creating a tripping hazard.

● Lowering the floor to allow for easier ingress/egress of patrons.

● Of the two garage doors that are there, only one functions properly, and additional service doors are needed to improve efficient access to the barn.

● The exterior is very unappealing, as it does not complement any of the other barns on the grounds.

With the poultry/waterfowl program growing, we would like to replace the old barn with a new barn, saving time and money versus repairing it. We have consulted with an engineer, and the new barn would be 60’ x 80’, which would give us an extra 1600 square feet of room. For comparison, the new barn would be 10ft wider and 16ft longer than the existing barn.

To accomplish this goal, we estimate that the project cost would be around $175,000.00. We are seeking your generous financial support to make this vision a reality. Any monetary or in-kind donation to create a safer and better-equipped poultry barn would be greatly appreciated.

While any donation is welcome, with donations of $500 or more, we will proudly display your name on the front of the new building. Also, in addition to that, your name will be listed on the Northwestern Michigan Fair’s website, thanking you for your wonderful donation. All donations are tax-deductible! With many of the facilities at the Fairgrounds being updated, it is time to update the poultry barn to better serve the poultry/waterfowl program. Let’s make this a reality for our youth so they can be safer and more successful with their poultry/waterfowl projects.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at any time via email or call me.