A youth-led effort that began as a simple county fair challenge has grown into one of the Midwest’s most sustained grassroots responses to food insecurity, mobilizing thousands of 4-H members and community volunteers across Indiana and Ohio.
Launched in 2021, Farm Credit Mid-America and Rural 1st‘s “Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer” initiative asks county junior fair boards to collect food donations during their summer fairs — a period when local food pantries often face seasonal shortages. In five years, the program has generated more than 1.6 million pounds of food for local food banks, while channeling prize money back into youth-led community programs.
What distinguishes the initiative is its structure: rather than a traditional top-down charity drive, it relies on youth organizers to design and execute their own campaigns. Participants coordinate donation efforts, promote the cause locally and compete with neighboring counties, with top-performing groups earning cash awards to reinvest in their 4-H and fair activities.
The approach has produced rapidly escalating results. In Indiana alone, youth leaders collected a record 233,500 pounds of food in 2025 — more than double the previous year’s total — marking the fourth consecutive year of growth. Participation has expanded alongside those gains, with 42 county fairs taking part last summer, up from 38 the year before.
The scale of some local efforts underscores the program’s reach. In northwest Indiana, Lake County led the state during last year’s competition collecting more than 75,000 pounds of donated food.
Across the state, contributions were distributed among roughly 70 food banks, reflecting both urban and rural need.
Organizers say the timing of the collections is critical. County fairs, a longstanding fixture of rural life, draw large crowds and create a concentrated opportunity for donations at a moment when charitable giving typically dips and demand at food pantries rises.
The initiative has also become a vehicle for leadership development. Students manage logistics, coordinate volunteers and engage local sponsors — responsibilities that mirror professional nonprofit work while remaining rooted in community traditions.
Financial incentives have further reinforced participation. In Indiana, Farm Credit Mid-America distributed $56,000 in prize money to county fairs last year, rewarding top-performing groups across five regions. Sponsors, including Rural 1st, have supported the program’s expansion as it has spread beyond Ohio into neighboring states.
With the 2026 fair season approaching, organizers are encouraging junior fair boards to begin planning campaigns, emphasizing both the competitive and civic dimensions of the effort. The formula — a blend of local pride, youth leadership and community need — has proven durable, turning a simple idea into a regional network capable of delivering millions of pounds of food where it is needed most.
For more information and “Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer” resources, please visit Farm Credit Mid-America’s Community Investment webpage.
CLICK HERE to register in Indiana.
CLICK HERE to download the toolkit for the Indiana competition.
