by Judy Reed

This 4H club is raising money for a livestock building on the Montcalm County Fairgrounds. To help with a donation, visit their bake sale at Tractor Supply on Dec. 11.

A local 4H club would like to have a roof over their head when they show their animals at the Montcalm 4H Fair next summer, and have decided to do their part to make sure it happens.
The Tri County Country 4H Club, which has members who live in both Kent and Montcalm counties, is one of the largest registered clubs in Montcalm County, with about 39 kids and 18 families. They got together and decided to have a pie sale on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and raised over $1,300 in that sale alone to go toward the construction of buildings for the animals to be housed in at the new Montcalm Fair grounds on the northeast corner of Peck Road and M-91, just north of Greenville.

Members of the Tri County Country 4H Club at last year’s fair.

“We are in desperate need of funding because if we don’t have enough money to build all the barns, then the animals will be under tents at fair next summer,” said Judy Bigney, an administrative leader with the club. “With large animals such as steers, dairy cows, pigs, etc. that is kind of scary. We would much rather have them enclosed in a more safe environment,” she explained.
The group hopes to raise another $500 to $1,000 with their traditional Christmas bake sale, set for December 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tractor Supply in Cedar Springs. “We’ll also take donations at that time, as we have found that some people would rather just donate money than buy sugary baked goods,” said Bigney.
Other groups have also donated to the 65-acre site. Fred and Lena Meijer donated $100,000 to help build two horse barns, and the Greenville Area Community Foundation just recently donated $20,000 toward a covered livestock arena. The arena is expected to cost $65,000 to $70,000. Approximately $47,000 has been raised toward that project.