During the recent Allen County Fair, July 20-25, something special was happening as the event was helping feed the hungry in our community.  Donations from the 4-H Garden project exhibits, an individual 4-H club, and various businesses were part of the mixture that made the Allen County Fair a “giving fair”.

As 4-H members were recognized for a job well done with their projects and received various ribbons and trophies, several of the members were giving back by recognizing the growing need to feed hungry people in our community.

Members in the Garden and Potato projects donated a total of 100 pounds of fresh produce to the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission on July 18th just after their vegetables had been evaluated and judged.  The 57 4-H  members  donated include  fresh potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, squash, peppers, beets, carrots, onions, cucumbers and cabbage grown in their gardens.   Instead of having plates of vegetables sit all week in the 4-H Building on display, members donated the produce right after it had been judged and only a single vegetable was left on display.

4-H members also had the opportunity to participate in an event to build a structure using non-perishable food items.  The Blue Ribbons 4-H Club built a ‘Blue Ribbon Pie’ using canned pineapple, white and brown rice, cold cereal and muffin mix.  This was on display until July 25th when it was packed up and donated to the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County Food Banks.  A total of 130 pounds of non perishable food items were donated.

Buyers at the 4-H Livestock Auction on July 26th donated fresh meat to the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program.  Three lambs and six pigs were purchased by local businesses during the Auction and then donated.  The animals were then processed and the meat made available to the Community Harvest Food Bank network in Allen County.