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Fundraising Underway For New Cattle Barn on Langlade County Fairgrounds

December 27, 2011

Author:  
Rusty Mehlberg

Source:  
WACD 106.1 FM

Last week, the Langlade County Board of Supervisors approved to have the current cattle barn on the county fairgrounds be replaced by a new building. The county is putting forward $245,000 towards the project. However, with the cost estimated to be up to $430,000 the rest of the money needs to be fundraised. This is where a recently-created steering committee comes in.

Chairperson Dennis Mattmiller talked about their fundraising efforts during Tuesday's WATK-AM 900 Arby's Breakfast Club. He says that the end of use for the current cattle barn, which has been around for decades, can be tough to swallow but is needed. "We hate to see it be torn down, but it's just not feasible to fix it anymore. There's so much problems with it, and you're just putting good money towards bad. So it doesn't pay to do that."

The new building is currently designed to have three wings for housing animals, with a center ring area and seating for show events. Additional accommodations are also in the works such as a milking parlor and meeting spaces.

As for the fundraising, the committee has come up with several ideas to help raise the needed funds. Mattmiller details one that is currently underway. "And what we came up with is to sell a stall for $1,000, so that will bring us $180,000. And basically that's what we need is 180,000 to start the project."

Mattmiller says that the committee has already raised $75,000 towards the project prior to the county board's decision, with some of it going towards other work for the project. "We've got some excavation work that's been donated to get the barn torn down and get the site ready. So that's been donated, which is going to save us about $15,000. So everything is taking place, we've just got to finish it."

Overall, the purpose for the building is to create a structure that will be around for decades and provide quality space for youth showing off cattle, pigs, sheep and other animals during the Langlade County Youth Fair. Mattmiller says the new structure can also bring events to Langlade County for the youth all year round. "They have 4-H deals all over the state of Wisconsin, and because of our facility we can't host any of them. So everybody's traveling all over to do that, and we're hoping that we can bring one of those events to Antigo."

Those who want more information on the project or are willing to donate to it, you can contact Mattmiller at 715-219-0942.

by Rusty Mehlberg

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