MOUNT VERNON — Goats, chickens, and horses…oh my! When people think of the Knox County Fair, they often think of fun, food, 4-H, and animals.
But for the past three years, the Knox County Junior Fair Board has worked behind the scenes to care for their neighbors in need of food. In 2026, the Junior Fair Board continued its tradition of addressing food insecurity in Knox County by hosting the “Stock the Trailer” food drive at the Knox County Fair.
Throughout Fair Week, the students diligently invited fair attendees to bring food donations or monetary donations to the Junior Fair Board Office to support Food For The Hungry of Knox County (FFTH).
Their diligence even got the attention of a reporter from 10TV in Columbus, who did a news report on Stock the Trailer.
When FFTH Annual Drive and Community Relations Director, Tanner Cooper-Risser, along with his kids and community volunteer, Russ Mentzer, arrived to collect the food donations that were being delivered to the local Salvation Army of Knox County, they learned that the drive had collected 891.7 pounds of food and $460 in donations for those who are food insecure in our community.
The food will be distributed through the Salvation Army food pantry in Mount Vernon, and the financial donations will be added to the 2026 FFTH Drive Collection.
When asked about the drive, Phoebe Hults, Junior Fair Board Member and coordinator of the drive, shared, “We’ve been collecting food for FFTH for three years, and we plan to do it again next year!”
Hults encourages the community to be ready to help care for our neighbors in need at the 2027 Knox County Fair.
For 45 years, FFTH has existed to raise and distribute food and monetary contributions to support needy individuals and families in Knox County, working with key partner agencies to address food insecurity and to disrupt the poverty cycle.
FFTH thanks the Knox County Junior Fair Board for their support of its mission and looks forward to a continued partnership in the years to come.
Visit www.FoodForTheHungryCares.org to learn more about FFTH and follow FFTH on Facebook (@FoodForTheHungryKnoxCounty) and Instagram (@FFTHCares) to stay current on all things FFTH.