It's time for the annual UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge! Donations locations include UF/IFAS Extension Office, Trophy Creek, Renasant Bank, Tupelo's, Gulf Coast Lumber, Jefferson County K-12, Aucilla Christian Academy Franklin Academy and Jefferson County Solid Waste.
Melanie Southerland
UF/IFAS Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Agent – Jefferson County
As fall arrives and Florida's peanut harvest season begins, it is time for the annual UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge. We invite you and your family to participate in this meaningful community effort to help combat hunger in Jefferson County.
The 2026 Peanut Butter Challenge will take place from October 1 through October 31. During this time, we will collect unopened, unexpired jars of peanut butter to benefit local food pantries serving Jefferson County residents. Peanut butter is a nutritious, shelf-stable food that provides an excellent source of protein and is produced on many Florida farms.
Each year, UF/IFAS Extension offices throughout Florida partner with volunteer groups, clubs, organizations, businesses, and schools to address food insecurity through this statewide initiative. Thanks to the generosity of the Florida Peanut Producers Association and the Florida Peanut Federation, all locally donated peanut butter will be matched, doubling the impact of every contribution. Last year, local donations and matching contributions totaled 3,379.22 pounds of peanut butter for families in need.
We encourage you to participate in this year's challenge. Thank you for supporting this important effort to reduce hunger in our community. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for families throughout Jefferson County.