Farm Credit Mid-America, Rural 1st collaboration with local county fairs helped fight hunger across Ohio
COLUMBUS – Attendees at 64 county fairs across Ohio raised more than 228,000 pounds of food to benefit more than 65 food banks as part of Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer, a state-wide food drive contest sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st. Since 2021, the friendly competition has raised food donations for local food banks across Ohio in collaboration with county fairs.
“We’re proud to see how much our annual Stock the Trailer event has grown since the start of the contest in 2021,” said Melanie Strait-Bok, senior vice president of agricultural lending in Ohio. “Not only does this event allow us to give back to our local communities, but it helps secure the future of agriculture through our donations to junior fair boards.”
Winners were determined by calculating the total weight of all donations at participating fairs throughout five regions in Ohio. In addition to the $500 donation for participating, 1st place regional winners were awarded $5,000. This year’s 1st place winners were:
• Adams County Fair for collecting 16,040 pounds of food;
• Hardin County Fair for collecting 6,140 pounds of food;
• Lorain County Fair for collecting 23,840 pounds of food;
• Muskingum County Fair for collecting 15,720 pounds of food; and
• Van Wert County Fair for collecting 7,340 pounds of food.
2nd place winners were awarded $3,500 in addition to the $500 donation they received for participating in the event. This year’s 2nd place winner were:
• Greene County Fair for collecting 5,200 pounds of food;
• Guernsey County Fair for collecting 14,180 pounds of food;
• Henry County Fair for collecting 7,340 pounds of food;
• Madison County Fair for collecting 13,360 pounds of food; and
• Stark County Fair for collecting 7,700 pounds of food.
3rd place winners were awarded $1,500 in addition to the $500 donation they received for participating in the event. This year’s 3rd place winners were:
• Butler County Fair for collecting 5,017 pounds of food;
• Defiance County Fair for collecting 3,043 pounds of food;
• Hartford Independent Fair for collecting 13,508 pounds of food;
• Highland County Fair for collecting 5,420 pounds of food; and
• Mahoning County Fair for collecting 7,461 pounds of food.
About Farm Credit Mid-America
A proud member of the Farm Credit System, Farm Credit Mid-America exists to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture as a leading provider of reliable, consistent credit and financial services to farmers, producers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. The customer-owned cooperative serves more than 137,000 customers and manages a portfolio of $38 billion in total assets owned and managed. Farm Credit Mid-America’s products and services include loans for real estate, operating, equipment, rural living, crop insurance and vehicle, equipment and building leases. For more information visit www.fcma.com.
About Rural 1st
Rural 1st is the rural residential lending division of Farm Credit Mid-America, a financial services cooperative whose purpose is to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture. Rural 1st is the leader in rural lending, offering tailored products options for lot, land, construction, and home loans to rural consumers living in the territories of participating Farm Credit System Associations. For more information, call 1-844-GO-RURAL or visit Rural1st.com.