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Peanut Butter Challenge A Big Winner For Local Food Banks

Over 9,000 jars of peanut butter were donated to local food pantries thanks to the Peanut Butter Challenge from UF/IFAS Extension Northwest District agents and the Florida Peanut Producers Association.

Through donations and support from various businesses and groups like county 4-H clubs, local Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, churches and the EscaRosa Young Farmers
and Ranchers groups, district-wide more than 3,100 jars of peanut butter were collected.

Escambia County’s peanut butter collection landed a windfall when Escambia County peanut growers, Rodney and Michael Helton of Helton Brothers Farm donated an entire pallet of peanut butter and in turn asked a local buying point, Tri County Peanut LLC, to purchase another pallet.

“My brother (Michael) and I feel like we have been very blessed with growing some good crops. We both wanted to share our blessings,” said Rodney Helton.

And when they learned who would be getting the donations and “how great the need for peanut butter is and how appreciative food pantries are to get it, I knew it was the right thing to do,” Helton said. “The owners at Tri County Peanut feel the same. We all want to help our local communities, and if providing a product that is made from some of the crops that we grow will help, we are all for that.”

When the  contributions from the Heltons, Tri County Peanut, and  two pallets from Florida Peanut Producers Association are added to what was collected at the county level, area UF/IFAS Extension offices shared a total of  9,044 jars of peanut butter with local food pantries.

The first challenge a year ago netted 2,039 jars of peanut butter, providing more than 3,500 for local food pantries when coupled with a pallet donation from the Florida Peanut Producers Association.

Plans are already underway for the 2014 Peanut Butter Challenge. Like to two previous challenges, the 2014 collection dates and locations will be announced on NorthEscambia.com.

Pictured top: Escambia County peanut growers Helton Brothers Farm donated a pallet of peanut butter and asked local buying point Tri County Peanut to do the same for the Florida Peanut Butter Challenge. Shown are (L-R) Michael Helton, Bo Gideons, Rodney Helton and Adam Respress. Pictured inset: Escambia County 4-H members collected peanut butter for the drive, including members of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club (below). Pictured bottom. Tri County Peanut Butter purchased  pallet of peanut butter for the drive. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.