OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — Spread the word and the peanut butter. Join UF/IFAS County Extension Offices around Florida along with Florida A&M University, the Florida Peanut Producers Association, and the Florida Peanut Federation to help take a bite out of hunger by participating in a local peanut butter drive.
We are competing against other Florida counties for the most jars of peanut butter donated. Participate and help make your county a winner. The Florida Peanut Producers Association and the Florida Peanut Federation match donations.
Bring unopened jars of peanut butter to one of the drop-off locations below during the month of October. All peanut butter collected will be donated to local food pantries during Farm-City Week to help feed families in need.
Peanuts are grown on an estimated 185,000 acres in Florida with Okaloosa County growing almost 3,000 acres. The two largest peanut producing counties in Northwest Florida are Jackson County with almost 40,000 acres and Santa Rosa County with more than 20,000 acres.
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Ten states grow 99 percent of the U.S. peanut crop: Georgia, which grows about 42 percent of all U. S. peanuts, followed by Texas, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, Oklahoma and, New Mexico. The southeast is the largest peanut production region, with Florida producing approximately nine percent of the total national crop.
The majority of peanuts grown in Florida are dried, shelled and processed into peanut butter, roasted nuts, candy or other products. But for those that enjoy boiled peanuts, we do have some fresh market peanuts, also referred to as “green” or “boiling” peanuts sold this time of year as peanuts are being harvested.
According to the Florida Peanut Producers Association (https://www.flpeanuts.com/industry/at-a-glance), peanuts are the 12th most valuable cash crop grown in the U.S., with a farm value of over one billion dollars. Americans eat more than six pounds of peanut products each year, worth more than $2 billion at the retail level.
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Keep children eating locally grown peanuts in healthy, nutritious and yummy peanut butter by donating jars of peanut butter.
Drop-off locations include:
- The UF/IFAS Extension Office in your County
- Okaloosa County Extension Office
3098 Airport Road in Crestview
Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Okaloosa County Farm Bureau Office
921 West James Lee Blvd. (Hwy. 90) in Crestview
Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Okaloosa County Administrative Building
1250 Eglin Parkway in Shalimar
Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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For more information about the Peanut Butter Challenge, contact the Okaloosa County Extension Office at (850) 689-5850.
Larry Williams is the Extension Horticulture Agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. You can contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.
