By Andi Anderson
Ohio’s county fairs achieved remarkable success in 2024 with the Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer initiative.
This innovative contest, supported by Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st, motivated junior fairs to raise food donations for local food banks through friendly competition.
This year’s results set a record, showcasing the strong community spirit in Ohio’s agricultural sector. County fairs competed across the state, collecting thousands of pounds of food. The winners were awarded cash prizes to further support their initiatives.
First-Place Winners
The top-performing fairs raised the largest amounts of food:
Ross County Fair: 30,140 pounds
Mercer County Fair: 6,300 pounds
Lorain County Fair: 32,580 pounds
Guernsey County Fair: 30,340 pounds
Champaign County Fair: 11,700 pounds
Second-Place Winners
Second-place fairs received $3,500 in addition to their participation donation of $500:
Clermont County Fair: 12,455 pounds
Auglaize County Fair: 5,786 pounds
Ashland County Fair: 10,080 pounds
Hartford Independent Fair: 13,677 pounds
Warren County Fair: 7,080 pounds
Third-Place Winners
Third-place fairs were awarded $1,500 plus the participation donation:
Brown County Fair: 10,100 pounds
Fulton County Fair: 5,380 pounds
Stark County Fair: 8,620 pounds
Muskingum County Fair: 10,300 pounds
Greene County Fair: 5,440 pounds
The initiative underscores the crucial role agriculture and community events play in supporting food security. In addition to the food drive results, the podcast highlights Ohio’s forestry industry, which contributes over $30 billion to the state economy and spans 8 million acres.
This effort exemplifies how agriculture can unite communities, inspire generosity, and address pressing issues like hunger while fostering strong connections between fairs, local food banks, and residents.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski
Categories: Ohio, Rural Lifestyle