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Moravia

‘I’m just a chicken guy,’ 11-year-old selling shirts to update county fair’s chicken cages

By Roger Riley,

1 days ago

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3WK83s_1GgnyUTj00

CENTERVILLE, Iowa — At the Iowa State Fair, we met a young contestant who was showing his chickens for a judging competition. Just a few months later, he's turning his attention to his own county fairgrounds.

Gus Hoffman, who hails from Moravia, won a blue and a purple ribbon in his competitions. At the time, he admitted he really liked chickens.

“I’m just a chicken kind of guy, said Gus at the Iowa State Fair. “My mom’s a chicken person, my grandma’s a chicken person, my grandpa’s a chicken person.”

He enjoyed his visit to Des Moines for the fair and his work showing at the Appanoose County Fair.

“Whenever you get a chicken, don’t worry about them being happy, because whenever you take good care of them with feed and water, they’ll be happy,” said Hoffman.

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Now, Gus, through local media interviews, is working on a plan to help improve the Chicken Barn at the Appanoose County Fair.  He plans to raise $5,000 for the Fair to buy cage stands for the barn.

“I’m trying to sell T-shirts so that way our barn or small animal barn will get better cages,” said Gus. “Instead of us having to put our cages low to the ground, that way people have to bend over, I want to build cages that will stack up have trays to catch droppings.”

Gus is using the theme “I’m a Chicken Kind of Guy” and selling the shirts online. The shirts will be on sale through the month of November.

Some contributions have been coming in from local businesses. Gus says he’s humbled that people would give to help his county fair.

A number of companies are considering gifts. John Deere in Ottumwa has already agreed to send a gift.

“I shouldn’t say it makes me feel proud, but it makes me feel good that I get to support our fair," said Gus. “My family is not that well-known in our town, so I don’t know how a lot of people know me; it’s just that I’m very surprised by that. Everybody who has decided to support me.”

You can learn more by visiting the fundraiser's Facebook page.

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