UF/IFAS Extension Annual Peanut Butter Challenge in Full Swing

If you want to help feed the hungry in Florida’s Panhandle this year, you can donate peanut butter during the annual Peanut Butter Challenge, coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension. Through this annual challenge, local food pantries will receive thousands of jars of donated peanut butter which will be used to help support communities recovering from Hurricane Sally.

Coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension faculty and volunteers, the project was conceived as a way to feed hungry families ahead of the holidays in addition to promoting a Florida-grown crop. The peanut, which is produced mainly throughout the northern regions of the state, contributed $154 million to the state economy in 2017, according to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service.  

From October through Nov. 25, you can donate unopened jars of peanut butter at your UF/IFAS Extension county office. All offices are abiding by mask and social distancing guidelines for your safety, but contact your local Escambia County Extension office ahead of time for any questions or concerns. 

This year, drop-off boxes can be found at: 

• UF/IFAS Extension - 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment, 850-475-5230

• Escambia County Public Safety - 6575 N. W St., Pensacola

• Escambia County Farm Bureau - 153 Highway 97, Molino

• Holy Spirit Church - 10650 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola

• Gilmore Services - 21 E. Fairfield Drive, Pensacola

• Perdido Bay United Methodist Church - 13360 Innerarity Point Road, Pensacola

• City Hall- 222 W. Main Street, Pensacola

• Escambia County Administration- 221 Palafox Place, Pensacola

• Pensacola Beach Visitors Information- 7 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Pensacola Beach

Since 2012, the volunteers and UF/IFAS Extension faculty have collected jars of peanut butter from residents, volunteer groups and businesses in 16 Northwest Florida counties. Last year, participating UF/IFAS Extension county offices received a total of 14,042 pounds of peanut butter, said Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the challenge. When added to the FPPA and FPF donations, nearly 21,000 jars of peanut butter were distributed to the region’s food pantries after last year’s collection. 

 
Peanut butter is an ever-popular item in food pantries for its nutrient density and shelf stability. The project took on new meaning this year as demand for food bank assistance had increased as an economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year’s challenge was already planned to expand to more of the state’s peanut-producing region with the addition of the northeastern counties for the first time. Now, counties in Central and South Florida are also invited to join in the event.