Indiana — Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st are excited to announce the third annual Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer event. Presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and sponsored by our consumer lending division, Rural 1st, this initiative brings together junior fairs statewide in a friendly competition to raise donations for their local food banks.
With more than 700,000 individuals across Indiana facing food insecurity, Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer helps inspire and incentivize local youth to address the hunger gap. Since its inception in 2022, the event has gained significant momentum, symbolizing the power of local communities coming together to tackle a pressing issue. In 2023, there was overwhelming participation, with 36 county fairs competing and supporting 53 food banks across Indiana. Together, these efforts resulted in a remarkable donation of 99,000 pounds of food, more than doubling the donations from 2022.
“It’s always inspiring to see young, local residents develop innovative solutions to drive food donations for their community,” said Steve Witges, Farm Credit Mid-America’s senior vice president of agricultural lending in Indiana. “This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture. We’re grateful for the continued support and look forward to another successful year of making a meaningful impact.”
All participating junior fairs receive a $500 prize. At the end of the fair, the total weight of all donations will be calculated. The top five winners will receive additional prize money. In past years, junior fairs used the prizes to attend statewide conferences, invest in new technologies, and, in some cases, donate more non-perishable items to the food banks.
“We filled three trailers with over 15,000 pounds of food,” said Coltyn Sellers, Wabash County 4-H junior leader and past participant. “It was cool to see the reactions when we brought all that to the food banks. We were able to help a lot of families in and around Wabash County.”
Since 2022, the Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer event in Indiana has donated more than 136,000 pounds of food, filling nearly 80 food banks. This milestone underscores the difference communities can make when united by a common purpose.
Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer is hosted at the state level. In the coming weeks, we will share updates from local county fairs, including details on how to donate in your area.
