This summer, 4-H youth across Indiana collected 181,152 pounds of food for 52 local food banks through the Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer competition.
Presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and sponsored by Rural 1st, the competition brought together 40 county fairs across Indiana. Participating 4-H youth collected food for local food banks while earning funds to support their county organizations.
“Programs like Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer reflect the best of rural America, bringing people together to help one another and address local needs,” said Natasha Cox, Farm Credit Mid-America’s senior vice president of agricultural lending in Indiana. “More than 1 million Hoosiers face hunger, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study. Seeing Indiana youth rally their communities to help address that challenge is a powerful example of neighbors supporting neighbors.”
Forty county fairs participated this year, with LaPorte County earning the statewide top spot after collecting 23,246 pounds of food.
Farm Credit Mid-America provided $52,750 to 4-H county fair boards across Indiana this summer. Each participating junior county fair board received $500 to put toward its activities, while the top three fairs in each of five regions received additional funding. First-place fairs receive $5,000, second-place fairs receive $2,500 and third-place fairs receive $1,000. The regional winners are listed below.
West Central Indiana – 61,392 pounds of food
- First Place: Miami County Fair, 18,298 pounds
- Second Place: Howard County Fair, 10,446 pounds
- Third Place: Benton County Fair, 7,760 pounds
Northern Indiana – 39,406 pounds of food
- First Place: LaPorte County Fair, 23,246 pounds
- Second Place: Lake County Fair, 8,660 pounds
- Third Place: Fulton County Fair, 5,780 pounds
Southeast Indiana – 39,189 pounds of food
- First Place: Jackson County Fair, 14,934 pounds
- Second Place: Harrison County Fair, 6,920 pounds
- Third Place: Clark County Fair, 3,010 pounds
Southwest Indiana – 25,865 pounds of food
- First Place: Monroe County Fair, 9,439 pounds
- Second Place: Morgan County Fair, 4,520 pounds
- Third Place: Putnam County Fair, 3,880 pounds
East Central Indiana – 15,300 pounds of food
- First Place: Wabash County Fair, 8,416 pounds
- Second Place: Wells County Fair, 4,544 pounds
- Third Place: Huntington County Fair, 1,740 pounds
Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer is one way Farm Credit Mid-America and its consumer lending brand, Rural 1st, invest in the next generation of agriculture. In 2025, Farm Credit Mid-America contributed $236,000 to programs supporting young agricultural leaders in Indiana, including $80,000 for Indiana 4-H programs. Across its territory, the association contributed more than $4 million to programs supporting rural communities and agriculture in 2025.
To learn more about Farm Credit Mid-America and its commitment to supporting local communities, visit our Community page.
