Melanie Southerland
Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Agent
UF/IFAS Jefferson County
It’s the 2022 Peanut Butter Challenge!
It is fall, and the peanut harvest is here. Now is the time to spread the protein with the annual UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge! The Extension office invites you to participate in this year’s Peanut Butter Donation Challenge. The Challenge will begin on Oct. 1 and end on Oct. 31. All donated peanut butter will go to local food pantries to feed residents of Jefferson County.
Every year UF/IFAS Extension Offices across the Panhandle coordinate the Peanut Butter Challenge, inviting volunteer groups, clubs, organizations, businesses and schools to donate peanut butter to address hunger and food insecurity in our area. As many people continue to face the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, an increased demand for food bank assistance remains. Peanut butter is a nutrient-dense, shelf-stable spread made from a product grown in many Florida farms.
We want to challenge our community, organizations, churches, business, clubs, county departments and city departments to participate in helping us reach our goal of 2,500 pounds. Last year, the Jefferson County community collected 2,236 pounds of peanut butter, the most peanut butter of all 16 counties in the northwest district! Like last year, this year all local donations will be matched by the Florida Peanut Growers Association and Florida Peanut Federation. At the end of the challenge, all the peanut butter will be donated to local food banks in Jefferson County.
If you would like us to bring your organization a collection box, please call (850) 342-0187. The organization that collects the most peanut butter will win not only bragging rights but also a prize! Feel free to include family, friends and any other methods you can think of to collect more peanut butter.
Peanut butter will be measured in ounces. Peanut butter collected by organizations and individuals can be dropped off at the UF/IFAS Extension office by Oct. 31. However, we will have multiple locations with donation boxes for easier accessibility. We hope organizations will participate in this community service project to help address hunger and food insecurity in Jefferson County!