Two rabbits at the 2017 Washington County Fair. Photo by Sally Y. Hart

While hot and humid conditions linger in southeast Iowa, one spot on the Washington County Fairgrounds that feels cooler than years past is the rabbit and poultry barn.

Bell Sisters Rabbitry received a $2,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of America to make improvements on the barn and the Washington County Fair Board contributed $2,100 to the project. Sophie and Ellie Bell explained with the grants they were able to get six new fans from Hogslat, which increases air flow and means 4-Hers don’t have to put as much ice in with their animals to keep them cool as they’d done in the past. Other improvements included 232 new cages to improve the management and safety of the animals. For results from the livestock shows and other fair contests click here.