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Fountain County 4-H auction to spruce up fairgrounds

BY LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

VEEDERSBURG, Ind. — In Benton County, Ind., the annual consignment auction of the FFA chapter at Benton Central Jr.-Sr. High School is a decades-old tradition that brings in as much as $20,000 per year.

This year, the Fountain County 4-H Council is hoping to start a similar tradition and raise much-needed funds for 4-H programming as well as the Fountain County 4-H Fairgrounds. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to raise $3,000 to 5,000 for our first year. Those may be lofty aspirations but that’s what we’re shooting for,” said Amanda Smith, Fountain County extension educator.

The auction will be at the fairgrounds one mile west of Veedersburg on U.S. Highway 136 on Dec. 6. The sale bill includes farm implements and machinery, lawn and garden equipment, livestock gates and feeders, tools, pickups, grain trucks and more. Smith said the auctioneers will run two sales simultaneously, one for implements and machinery and one for smaller items. Several local auctioneers have volunteered their time and expertise to run and help prepare for the auction.

“I’m guessing we’ll have 200-300 items,” said Smith, but added that the size of the auction is difficult to estimate, since this will be the first endeavor of its kind for the Fountain County 4-H Council.
A portion of the money raised from the auction will go toward a long-term plan to spruce up the fairgrounds. “We’re looking at changing some things out there and make it more accessible to the public,” said Dave Houmes, incoming president of the Fountain County 4-H Council.

In addition to addressing some short-term fixes, such as drainage work and replacing the restrooms in the livestock area, the council is planning to construct a community education and conference center at the fairgrounds. The center would house the extension office and play host to various extension programs and exhibits. It could also be used by the community for meetings, conferences and wedding receptions.

“It would be a little bit like the Hendricks County Fairgrounds on a Fountain County budget,” Smith said.

Smith worked at Benton Central as an agriculture teacher for four years prior to coming to Purdue Extension in Fountain County, and was inspired by the success of the FFA auctions there. She’s hoping the consignment auction put on by the Fountain County 4-H Council will become a recurring event as well.

“We’ve committed to give it at least two years,” she said.

Houmes said it will take a while for the auction to become well known, but the council plans to advertise in regional farm papers to spread the word and draw people from outside the county. “I know we’re working on both sides of the (Illinois/Indiana) state line,” he said.

Items for consignment will be accepted Dec. 4 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Dec. 5 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Dec. 6 from 7-9 a.m. The auction starts at 10 a.m. EST on Dec. 6 and will run until approximately 2 p.m. or until all items have been sold. Please contact Amanda Smith at 765-793-2297 or by e-mail at amandasmith@purdue.edu for more information about consigning items.

11/19/2008