September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

Food and farming celebration features
unique state fair exhibit
Thousands of canned food
items and a committed team of
volunteers created a first-of-itskind
exhibit at the 2011 Iowa
State Fair.
The “Together We CAN!” exhibit,
presented by the Iowa Food
& Family Project (Iowa FFP),
featured the awe-inspiring work
of Canstruction®, the most unique
food charity in the world.
The exhibit was located in the
south atrium of the Varied
Industries Building and included
larger-than-life replicas of the
Iowa State Fair butter cow (in
honor of its 100th anniversary),
a milk carton, market-size hog
and landscape of soybeans and
corn fields — all sculpted from
thousands of cans of food.
All of the food items used in the
exhibit was donated to the Iowa
Food Bank Association (IFBA)
benefiting Iowans struggling
against hunger.
The purpose of the exhibit was to
encourage conversations about
farming, inspire greater awareness
of the commitment of Iowa
farmers to providing healthy food
for everyone and help people and
families struggling with hunger.
director of external relations for
the Iowa Soybean Association
and coordinator of the Iowa
FFP. “Farmers want to listen,
engage in the discussion and,
most importantly, demonstrate
their commitment to continuous
improvement.”
Actual construction of the display
took place the first four days of
the fair and utilized the services of
celebrity builders” including Iowa
Ag Secretary Bill Northey, Des
Moines native Rebecca Meyer, the
Season 8 at-home $100,000 winner
of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” and
members of the Grammy Awardwinning
contemporary Christian
rock band Casting Crowns, which
was performing at the fair.
People were truly moved by the exhibit
and many expressed their thanks to
Iowa’s farmers and to the exhibit’s
sponsors for making the event possible,
Putze said. Several thousand dollars in
donations was received during the fair
by the Iowa Food Bank Association and
for every $1 donated, Iowa Food Banks
can distribute up to $15 of food!
The “Together We CAN!” exhibit
was sponsored by the Iowa Pork
Producers Association, along with the
Iowa Soybean Association, Midwest
Dairy Association, Hy-Vee, Syngenta,
Iowa State Fair, IFBA and the United
Soybean Board.
“While people hold farmers in
high regard, they have sincere
questions about farming and
want to know more about the
quality of their food and how
it’s produced,” says Aaron Putze,
This market pig was part of the Together We CAN! exhibit.
SEPTEMBER 2011
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