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On Friday, Oct. 1, UF/IFAS Extension Escambia held its inaugural Peanut Butter Challenge kick-off event. Extension faculty and staff joined to cheer on this year’s Peanut Butter Challenge Ambassador, Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, as he deposited the challenge’s first jar of peanut butter.
The Peanut Butter Challenge, UF/IFAS Extension’s annual jar collection for local food pantries, first launched in the Florida Panhandle in 2012. It has since launched statewide, giving counties the chance to compete for most jars of peanut butter donated. The challenge serves a way to feed hungry families ahead of the holidays and also promotes a Florida-grown crop: the peanut.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this inaugural event,” said Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry. “I'm proud to be a part of a community that comes together to help those in need before the holidays. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity to highlight the importance of the peanut in the state of Florida. Not many people know that the peanut contributed $119 million to the state’s economy in 2019. In fact, it’s a major crop grown here in Northwest Florida. And, in turn, food insecurity affected around one in 10 Floridians last year. It's very inspiring to see our residents help fight hunger right here in our community.”
Unopened jars of peanut butter can be donated to the Escambia County Extension office, located at 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment, FL 32533 from Oct. 1 through Nov. 24. Follow along on social media as well at https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/escambia/.
Additional drop-off boxes are located throughout Escambia County at the below locations:
In addition to the community donations, the Florida Peanut Producers Association (FPPA) and Florida Peanut Federation (FPF) have partnered with the project for years. These organizations are based in the northwest and northeast peanut-producing regions of the state and will again contribute to the totals distributed to food pantries in those regions.
In the 2020 Peanut Butter Challenge, the first year the event was conducted statewide, participating UF/IFAS Extension county offices received over 27,000 total pounds of peanut butter.
To join or partner with Escambia County’s collection this year, call the UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension office at (850) 475-5230. For other information about the UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County Office, visit sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/escambia or like Escambia Extension on Facebook.
The mission of Escambia County government is to provide efficient, responsive services that enhance our quality of life, meet common needs and promote a safe and healthy community.
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