One of the most iconic parts of the Iowa State Fair is the food, and there’s always plenty of it. There are also many food competitions that take place in the Elwell building on the west side of the fairgrounds, which do a great job of connecting fairgoers with the producers who grow their food. The Food Bank of Iowa, in partnership with Nationwide, presented their annual “Chopped” competition again this year. Many delicious and economically smart recipes were on display. Annette Hacker, vice president of communications with the Food Bank of Iowa, said this year’s contest was another great success.
Advocacy isn’t the only way that food insecurity gets tackled at the Iowa State Fair. This year marked the 7th year of the Food Bank of Iowa rescuing food from generous state fair vendors. Ten vendors were able to provide nearly 6,000 pounds of delicious fair food. Hacker said the types of food they get varies from year to year.
The generous donation allows food-insecure Iowans to get a taste of the fair that might have otherwise been unattainable for them this year.
For more information, visit foodbankiowa.org.
