Wayne, Ashland County Fairs Join Statewide Effort to Fight Hunger
WOOSTER, OH — The Wayne and Ashland County fairs are joining a statewide campaign aimed at fighting hunger while encouraging leadership among Ohio’s young people.
The two fairs will participate in the sixth annual “Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer” competition presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and sponsored by Rural 1st.
The friendly competition challenges junior fair boards and other youth leaders to work with their communities to collect food during their county fairs. Donations gathered through the program benefit food banks serving the participating counties.
“We’re glad to bring this initiative back to county fairs across Ohio and to see young people step up and get their communities involved,” said Seth Wilkerson, regional vice president of agricultural lending at Farm Credit Mid-America.
Wilkerson said county fairs naturally bring communities together and give residents a simple way to support neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
“In the end, our communities are the ones who benefit most,” Wilkerson said.
The program experienced a record-breaking year in 2025, when 4-H members and other youth leaders collected 448,827 pounds of food for more than 60 food banks across Ohio. That represented a 57% increase from the approximately 286,000 pounds collected in 2024 and marked the fourth consecutive year of record donations.
Ross County was the 2025 statewide winner after collecting 122,640 pounds of food for Brookside Church and the Good Samaritan Food Pantry.
Since the competition began in 2021, participating fairs in Ohio and Indiana have collected more than 1 million pounds of food.
Farm Credit Mid-America also provides financial support to participating junior fair boards. In 2025, the organization donated $500 to each participating fair board and awarded additional funds to regional winners. Those contributions totaled $63,000 across Ohio.
The food drive is part of Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st’s broader effort to invest in agriculture and rural communities. The association contributed more than $4 million to community programs in 2025, including $1.59 million supporting youth, college students and young and beginning farmers.
