ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — Ross County 4-H leaders shattered expectations and claimed statewide bragging rights by collecting a staggering 122,640 pounds of food this summer, propelling the southern Ohio county to the top spot in the annual Fight Hunger, Stock the Trailer competition and helping drive a record-breaking 448,827 pounds donated to more than 60 food banks across Ohio.
The effort, organized by youth 4-H members and presented by Farm Credit Mid-America and its Rural 1st brand, marked the fifth year of the program and the fourth straight year of record donations — a 57% jump from the 286,000 pounds collected in 2024.
“When we first told people we were going for 100,000 pounds of nonperishables and water, people were really skeptical,” said CJ Jones, a member of the Ross County Junior Fair Board. “But when you work together and trust in God and have a lot of good, strong encouraging people around you, it helps a lot.”
The food collected in Ross County went to Brookside Church and the Good Samaritan Food Pantry.
Lorain and Champaign counties, both top finishers in 2024, again placed among the leaders in their respective regions, while every participating county’s 4-H program received at least $500 from Farm Credit Mid-America. Top-performing junior fair boards in each of Ohio’s five regions earned additional prize money.
“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. She noted that Feeding America reports more than 1.8 million Ohioans face food insecurity.
In addition to the nearly 450,000 pounds of food, Farm Credit Mid-America donated $63,000 to Ohio 4-H programs this summer.
The competition is part of a broader commitment by the cooperative, which contributed $4.5 million in 2024 to rural and agricultural programs across its footprint, including $450,000 specifically for Ohio initiatives.