Several vendors at the Iowa State Fair generously contributed 6,000 lbs. of excess fair food to the Food Bank of Iowa on Monday.
The Food Bank of Iowa received a donation of 6,000 lbs. of food from 16 vendors at the end of the fair. Although this amount is only half of what was donated last year, it is still a victory to prevent food from being wasted.
Emily Shearer, the senior manager of food acquisition and advocacy at the Food Bank of Iowa, expressed her gratitude towards the fair vendors who aimed to prevent waste and help those facing hunger. She acknowledged that with some vendors selling out of their popular menu items by the last day of the fair, there would naturally be fewer leftovers this year. She also expressed appreciation for the volunteers who assisted in collecting food donations from fairgoers at all the gates.
The officials have stated that a large portion of the food provided includes Barksdale cookies, fresh produce, hard-boiled eggs, milk, cheese, bread, and pulled pork. They have successfully delivered most of the food to Hope Ministries and Catholic Charities.
The following is a compilation of vendors who generously contributed their excess food:
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- Midwest Dairy
- Iowa Sheep Industry Association
- Iowa Pork Producers Association
- Jalapeno Pete’s
- West Des Moines United Methodist Church
- Biscuit Bar
- Veggie Table
- Stockman’s Inn
- JR’s SouthPork Ranch
- The Depot
- Iowa State Fair
- Versova
- Smith’s
- Fair Fare LLC
- Iowa State Fair General Store
- Brafford
