Iowa State Fair vendors donate 6,000 lbs. of food to Food Bank of Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — Multiple Iowa State Fair vendors donated 6,000 lbs. of leftover fair food to the Food Bank of Iowa on Monday.

The Food Bank of Iowa said 16 vendors donated the food at the end of the fair. Officials said that while the 6,000 lbs. donated is only half of what was donated last year, it’s still a win to see food not go to waste.

“With some vendors selling out of their most popular menu items by the last day of the fair, it only makes sense there would be fewer leftovers this year,” Emily Shearer, Food Bank of Iowa’s senior manager of food acquisition and advocacy, said. “We are grateful to these generous fair vendors who want to prevent waste as well as share food with neighbors facing hunger. We’re also thankful for our volunteers who helped pick up food today and collected donations from fairgoers at all the gates yesterday.”

Officials said the majority of the food consisted of Barksdale cookies, fresh produce, hard-boiled eggs, milk, cheese, bread, and pulled pork. The majority of the food has been delivered to Hope Ministries and Catholic Charities.

Below is a list of vendors who donated their leftover food:

• 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

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