Duval County Joins Annual Peanut Butter Challenge for Food Pantries

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Duval County office is once again collecting peanut butter donations throughout October as part of a statewide competition that funnels thousands of jars to local food pantries before the holiday season. The annual Peanut Butter Challenge, a friendly contest among Florida's 67 county Extension offices, runs through October 31.

Residents can drop off unopened, unexpired peanut butter jars of any size at more than a dozen locations across Jacksonville, including City Hall, the Main Library, all Jacksonville Public Library branches, and the Extension office on McDuff Avenue. Since the competition's start in Duval County in 2022, local residents have donated 6,035 jars totaling 8,055. 96 pounds — more than four tons of peanut butter that has been distributed to area food pantries.

What's happening

The UF/IFAS Extension Duval County office, located at 1010 N. McDuff Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32254, is the primary collection hub for the 2026 challenge. Community partners that have signed up to accept donations include City Hall at 117 W. Duval St. (Employee Services Mezzanine Floor), Jacksonville Main Library at 303 N. Laura St., all other Jacksonville Public Library locations, the Ed Ball Building at 214 N. Hogan St. (Rose Nettles Public Works, 10th Floor), and Standard Feed and Seed at 1236 Kings Road.

The competition counts jars submitted by October 31, after which county totals will be tallied and bragging rights awarded to the top-collecting counties. All donations are then given to local food pantries and other partners working to address food insecurity in their communities.

From 2022 through 2025, Duval County collected 6,035 jars of peanut butter totaling 8,055. 96 pounds. The UF/IFAS Extension office is also inviting partnerships and internal competitions among schools, clubs, office buildings, and other organizations. Interested groups can contact the Duval County office at 904-255-7450 to coordinate.

The Florida Peanut Producers Association and Florida Peanut Federation, based in the northwest and northeast peanut-producing regions of the state, have partnered with the project for years and contribute to totals distributed to food pantries in those regions.

Why peanut butter

Peanut butter was selected as the target donation item for its nutritional value, long shelf life, and to highlight Florida's peanut production. According to the Florida Peanut Growers Association, the economic impact of Florida's peanut crop exceeds $230 million. Approximately 75 percent of peanuts produced in Florida are made into peanut butter.

For food pantries, peanut butter is a protein-dense, shelf-stable staple that requires no refrigeration and has broad appeal across age groups and dietary needs. Unlike fresh produce or dairy, jars can be stored for months, making them especially valuable for pantries managing fluctuating demand and limited cold-storage capacity.

Food insecurity and local pantries

Food insecurity — the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life — remains a persistent issue in Northeast Florida. Food pantries and distribution programs serve as a critical safety net, especially in the weeks leading up to the holidays when families face additional financial pressures from travel, gifts, and time off work.

Local pantries rely on a combination of purchased food, donations from retailers and distributors, and community food drives to stock shelves. Drives like the Peanut Butter Challenge provide a focused, time-bound opportunity to build inventory ahead of peak demand periods in November and December. The donations collected through October 31 will be distributed to pantries before Thanksgiving, when usage typically spikes.

Tracy Akers Williams, Extension Marketing Manager for UF/IFAS Extension Duval County, emphasized that the work behind a successful donation drive extends beyond collecting jars. "It's about building relationships with new partners, creating opportunities for people and organizations to get involved, and raising awareness about the needs within our community," Williams said in the announcement. "Each new partnership helps us reach more people and, together, make a greater impact for local families. "

The role of Extension offices

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension network maintains county offices across Florida that deliver research-based education and outreach on agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, youth development, and community issues. The Duval County Extension office is part of the City of Jacksonville's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, which serves more than one million residents through recreation programs, senior services, social services, and extension services.

Extension offices have long served as community hubs for programs that address local needs — from 4-H youth clubs and Master Gardener training to food-safety workshops and disaster preparedness. The Peanut Butter Challenge leverages that network and the office's relationships with schools, civic groups, and municipal partners to coordinate a countywide collection effort.

The statewide nature of the competition adds a friendly, motivational element: counties compete for bragging rights based on total jars or pounds collected, encouraging offices to rally their communities and expand their partner networks each year. Duval's four-year total of more than 6,000 jars reflects sustained participation from residents and repeat partnerships with city departments and libraries.

How residents and organizations can participate

Residents can drop off unopened, unexpired peanut butter jars at any of the participating locations through October 31. Jars of any size are accepted. The Extension office encourages individuals, families, neighborhood groups, and workplaces to contribute.

Organizations interested in hosting internal competitions or serving as additional collection points can contact the UF/IFAS Extension Duval County office at 904-255-7450. Schools, corporate offices, homeowners' associations, and faith communities have participated in past years, often running friendly contests among departments, classrooms, or teams to see who can collect the most jars.

For workplaces and large organizations, hosting a collection point can provide a low-lift employee-engagement opportunity with a clear deadline and a tangible local impact. The Extension office can provide promotional materials and coordinate pickup of collected jars.

More information about the Peanut Butter Challenge, including updates on county totals and ways to get involved, is available at sfyl. ifas. ufl. edu/peanutbutter.

Broader context: food drives and Jacksonville's growth

As Jacksonville and Duval County continue to grow — the consolidated government serves more than one million residents across a geographically sprawling area — the infrastructure of social services, including food access, must scale alongside new rooftops and businesses. Programs like the Peanut Butter Challenge offer a decentralized, community-driven model for meeting need, tapping the capacity of libraries, municipal offices, and retailers as collection points and relying on residents' familiarity with those locations.

The challenge also connects urban and rural parts of the state: while Duval's donations stay local, the statewide structure ties Jacksonville residents to Florida's agricultural economy and to the work of peanut growers in the Panhandle and northern counties. That link between farm and food pantry underscores the role of Extension offices as bridges between agricultural production and community well-being, a mission that remains relevant even as the region's economy diversifies and urbanizes.