Now that the Iowa State Fair has ended, what happens to all the left over food?  Sixteen Iowa State Fair vendors have donated 12,113 pounds of unused food to Food Bank of Iowa at the close of this year’s fair. That’s nearly 5,000 pounds more than last year!

Among the food collected by FBOI staff and volunteers on Aug. 21, some was delivered immediately to partners including Hope Ministries’ Bethel Mission, YMCA Supportive Housing Campus, Creative Visions and Central Iowa Shelter & Services. Other food will go on inventory for distribution across the 55 counties Food Bank of Iowa serves. Food items donated included:  Fresh produce including cucumbers, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes and onions, hard-boiled eggs, ice cream, strawberry shortcake rolls, coleslaw, milk, cheese slices and hoagie buns.

Among the vendors who donated:  Bud Tent, Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters, Centrum Valley Farms, The Depot, Iowa Egg Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Sheep Industry Association, Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, Grater Taters, Jalapeno Pete’s, Midwest Dairy Association, Saigonais LLC, Smith Concessions, Stockman’s Inn, Veggie Table and West Des Moines United Methodist Church.

The USDA estimates up to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted every year. According to Feeding America, that equates to more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.