Fighting hunger in Hocking County – one pig at a time

Livestock sales are a pinnacle moment at county fairs, bringing community together to support and celebrate local 4-H youth. In Hocking County, this summer ritual also brings community together to support our neighbors facing food insecurity.

In 2022, HCCF debuted its Fill the Freezer campaign, inviting buyers at the Hocking County Fair’s Junior Livestock Sale to donate their hog purchases to fill the freezers of the county’s food pantries and fight hunger – one pig at a time.

Over the past four years, HCCF’s Fill the Freezer campaign has generated 12,421 pounds of locally raised protein to feed Hocking County residents facing food insecurity. In 2025, 28 hogs were donated, generating 3,416 pounds of sausage. 

HCCF’s 2026 Fill the Freezer campaign will be held Saturday, Sept. 19.

In partnership with the Hocking County Fair Board, local 4-H and FFA members, the Southeast Ohio Foodbank, local food pantries and meat processors, and the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Fill the Freezer brings together local residents and businesses who not only donate their hog purchases but also donate money to cover meat processing costs.

Learn more

For more information about Hocking County’s Fill the Freezer campaign, email Hocking@ffao.org or call 740.753.1111.

Filling the freezers of food pantries across the region

In 2025, seven of FAO’s affiliate foundation partners spearheaded or supported Fill the Freezer campaigns, which was piloted in the region in 2021 by the Community Foundation for Perry County. In 2025 alone, more than 33,000 pounds of meat were donated through these programs, which are expanding to additional counties this year. Learn more about Fill the Freezer efforts across Appalachian Ohio.