There’s something new at the Webster County Fairgrounds.

East of the auditorium, not far from a line of trees, sits a wooden cabin that wasn’t there a year ago. It used to be in the campground at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, north of Fort Dodge.

It was built by carpentry students at Iowa Central Community College and was placed at the park in 2008. But after 12 years of use, the staff of Webster County Conservation found it wasn’t really meeting the needs of the park anymore. It was decided to find a new home for the cabin.

That decision led to a new and stronger relationship between Webster County Conservation and the Webster County Fair Board.

Webster County Conservation donated the cabin to the Fair Board last month.

Right now it is anticipated that Webster County Conservation will use the cabin as a place for outdoors related displays and demonstrations during the annual county fair. But it won’t be sitting empty the rest of the year. The Fair Board is working on ideas for the cabin to make it a useful place all year round.

The fact that this cabin is getting a new life instead of being torn down is a good thing.

What’s even better is that the cabin has served as the key to creating a new partnership between the Webster County Fair Board and Webster County Conservation, two important agencies that touch the lives of thousands of local residents. We look forward to seeing what the two can do together in the future.