Allamakee County Farm Bureau observes annual Food Check-Out Week

In observance of the annual Food Check-Out Week, Allamakee County Farm Bureau hosted its Food Check-Out Challenge at Quillin's Food Ranch in Waukon Wednesday, February 25. Teams of Waukon High School students representing the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School and Allamakee County 4-H squared off in the Challenge, racing to gather items on their shopping list and return to the check-out counter in the shortest amount of time. The Allamakee County 4-H team won the challenge, but the real winner was the Allamakee County Food Shelf, which had a total of $227.53 in food items donated to it from the Challenge.
Food Check-Out Week celebrates America’s safe, wholesome, diverse and affordable food supply. According to the Farm Bureau, with technology and consumer demand driving farmers to become more efficient in their food production, research has shown that 10% of consumers' disposable income goes toward the purchase of food today in comparison to 19% of disposable income back in the 1950s.
Pictured above at this year's Food Check-Out Challenge are, left to right: Front row - Waukon High School Little Switzerland FFA Chapter members Carmen Wille, Megan Leiran and Chase Pladsen, and Allamakee County 4-H members Carley Mellick, Shelby Troendle and Emily Hammel. Back row - Waukon High School FFA Advisor Jessica O'Connor, Quillin's Food Ranch Head Cashier Amy Opperman, Allamakee County Farm Bureau President Dustin Byrnes, Allamakee County Farm Bureau Vice President Rick Weymiller, and ISU Extension and Outreach Youth Coordinator for Allamakee County Morgan Heim. Standard photo by Bob Beach.