ASHLAND — Ashland County 4-H placed third in the Northeast Ohio Region for the Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer food drive sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America.
The local 4-H organizations combined to donate 12,758 pounds of food, good enough for a third-place price of $500.
This summer, youth 4-H leaders across Ohio united in a powerful effort to fight hunger in their local communities — collecting a record-breaking 448,827 pounds of food for more than 60 food banks statewide.
As part of the Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer competition — presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and sponsored by Rural 1st — these young leaders turned a friendly rivalry into a statewide movement, making a real difference in their communities while earning funds for their 4-H organizations.
“Supporting rural communities and agriculture is at the heart of our mission, and this initiative is a powerful example,” said Melanie Strait-Bok, Farm Credit Mid-America’s senior vice president of agricultural lending in Ohio.
“Feeding America reports that more than 1.8 million Ohioans face food insecurity. It’s inspiring to see our Ohio youth lead innovative efforts like this to support their communities.”
This marks the fourth consecutive year of record donations in the five-year-old program – representing a 57% increase over 2024’s total of 286,000 pounds.
Ross County in south Ohio was the overall state winner, collecting an astounding 122,640 pounds of food Brookside Church and Good Samaritan Food Pantry. Lorain County raised the second highest amount with 52,444 pounds of food.
Nolan Norman, Junior Fair Board member in Lorain County said, “What really stands out, and what every kid no matter their level of involvement can take away from the program, is seeing the impact that service can have.
“At the end of the day, the competition is fun, and winning is always a great goal, but the real reward is the ability to serve your community, to give to people who need it, and to see the difference it makes in their lives.
“People don’t truly grasp the scale of it until they see that semi-truck pulling into the parking lot knowing it’s full of food and supplies that families need.”
In addition to the nearly 450,000 pounds of food collected by the 4-H teams, Farm Credit MidAmerica donated $63,000 to 4-H county fairs in Ohio this summer.
All of the nearly 60 participating county fair’s 4-H program received a $500 donation to support activities that build future agriculture leaders.
Additional prize dollars were given to the top participating fairs in each of five regions.