Ohio, November 19, 2024 – The Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer initiative, presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and sponsored by Rural 1st, has set a new milestone in the fight against hunger in Ohio. This summer, 66 county fairs across the state came together to collect a record-breaking 286,339 pounds of food for local food banks—marking a 25% increase in donations from previous years.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our communities, we were able to surpass previous totals and make a real impact in the fight against hunger,” said Melanie Strait-Bok, Senior Vice President of Agricultural Lending for Farm Credit Mid-America in Ohio. “With over a million Ohioans struggling with food insecurity, it’s truly inspiring to see these fairs and local communities come together to make such a difference.”
The program, now in its fourth year, empowers young Ohio residents to combat hunger through a friendly competition. In addition to the food donations, participating county fairs received funding to support activities that develop future agriculture leaders. Over $50,000 was donated by Farm Credit Mid-America to junior fair boards across Ohio.
The winners were determined by the total weight of donations collected at each county fair, divided into five regions. Regional winners received additional prize money:
- 1st Place Regional Winners:
- Champaign County Fair: 11,700 pounds
- Guernsey County Fair: 30,340 pounds
- Lorain County Fair: 32,580 pounds
- Ross County Fair: 30,140 pounds
- Van Wert County Fair: 7,340 pounds
- 2nd Place Regional Winners:
- Ashland County Fair: 10,080 pounds
- Clermont County Fair: 12,455 pounds
- Hartford County Fair: 13,677 pounds
- Henry County Fair: 4,380 pounds
- Warren County Fair: 7,080 pounds
- 3rd Place Regional Winners:
- Brown County Fair: 10,100 pounds
- Defiance County Fair: 3,043 pounds
- Greene County Fair: 5,440 pounds
- Muskingum County Fair: 10,300 pounds
- Stark County Fair: 8,620 pounds
As a participant in the program, Ashland County Junior Fair Board member Alexus Evans reflected on the importance of the campaign: “Doing Stock the Trailer these past few years has helped me realize how big of an impact it is to help better our community. Even something as small as donating a few cans of food can make the biggest difference for a family.”
Farm Credit Mid-America is proud to continue its support of local communities and initiatives like Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer that bring people together to help those in need.
For more information about Farm Credit Mid-America and its commitment to supporting Ohio communities, visit www.fcma.com.
