by ANDREA NIKOLAI, UF/IFAS Polk Extension
The Peanut Butter Challenge is an annual jar collection for local food pantries hosted by UF/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Cooperative Extension. Launched in the Florida Panhandle counties in 2012, it is again spreading statewide this year.
Unopened jars of peanut butter can be donated to the Polk County Extension office, located at 1702 S Holland Pkwy, Bartow, FL, through Oct. 31. You can also follow along on social media at https://www.facebook.com/PolkExtension/.
Other Polk County collection sites include:
- Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton Drive, Lakeland, FL
- Haines City Public Library, 111 N 6th St, Haines City, FL
- Winter Haven Library, 325 Ave A NW Winter Haven, FL
- Polk County Sheriff’s Operations Center, 1891 Jim Keene Blvd. Winter Haven, FL
- Any Polk County District Sheriff’s office (Northeast, Central, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Central County Jail, South County Jail)
Coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension and FAMU faculty, staff and volunteers, the competition among counties – for bragging rights only – 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 $137 million to the state economy in 2023, according to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service.
Peanut butter is an ever-popular item in food pantries because of its nutrient density and shelf stability. The project took on new meaning in 2020 as it spread statewide for the first time as demand for food bank assistance had increased as an economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest numbers from the United States Department of Agriculture shows food insecurity affected roughly 12 percent of Floridians in 2023.
Last year, Polk County collected 702 peanut butter jars, totaling 988 pounds. These jars were divided among three county locations: the Bartow Church Service Center, the Dream Center of Lakeland, and the First Presbyterian Church of Haines City. This year, we hope to beat last year’s total, and the jars this year will go to KidsPACK, Inc, who provides food for Polk County school food pantries each month.
Amy Royal, Program Manager of kidsPACK, Inc., said, “Since 2022, we’ve seen a rise in school food pantries because school meals and kidsPACK weekend meals aren’t enough. Peanut butter is a nutritious and cost-effective way to provide protein, and many churches donate jelly and bread to create easy meal options. A single jar of peanut butter goes a long way in helping keep our kids’ bellies full.”
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.
Last year’s Peanut Butter Challenge collected a total of 27,769 pounds of the nutritious spread from 44 Florida counties.
To join or partner with Polk County’s collection this year, call (863) 519-1041.
