The Peanut Butter Challenge, UF/IFAS Extension’s annual collection for local food pantries that launched in the Florida Panhandle in 2012, is again spreading statewide this year. In 2021, citizens of Santa Rosa County donated 1,142 jars (1,635 lbs.) of peanut butter to the challenge.

Businesses, civic or faith-based organizationsinterested in collecting peanut butter to support the needs of the community should contact Chris Verlinde at 850-777-7884 or [email protected] or Libbie Johnson at 850-857-2313 or [email protected].

Current drop locations include:

- All SRC Libraries, Jay, Milton, Pace, Navarre, and Gulf Breeze
- UF/IFAS Extension Offices in Jay at 5259 Booker Ln. and Milton, 6263 Dogwood Dr.
- SRC Administration complexes at 6495 Caroline St. in Milton and the South-end Annex at 5841 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. in Gulf Breeze
- SRC Clerk of Courts at 6495 Caroline St. in Milton
- SRC Chamber of Commerce at 4315 Avalon Blvd. in Milton
- SRC Visitors Center at 8543 Navarre Pkwy. in Navarre
- Immanuel Baptist Church at 4187 Hwy. 90 in Pace, (drop off will be in admin office on Alba St.)
- Pace Water System at 4401 Woodbine Rd. in Pace
- Escambia River Electric Cooperative at 3425 Hwy. 4 in Jay
- Cornerstone Christian Church at 14047 Alabama St. in Jay

According to the 2019 FDACS Agriculture by the Numbers report, in 2018, local farmers in Santa Rosa County produced 71.1 million pounds of peanuts. Most of these peanuts are used for peanut butter. According to the National Peanut Board, it takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter. There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 35,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

In addition to 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.