The 2025 Peanut Butter Challenge is complete for the UF/IFAS Extension Duval County Office, a division of the City of Jacksonville’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. The friendly competition among Florida counties encouraged residents to donate jars of unopened, unexpired peanut butter – a Florida-grown product and pantry staple – throughout the month of October.
This year, Duval County collected 2,623 jars of peanut butter, totaling 3,457.13 pounds. That’s an increase of 66.3% in jars and 70.2% increase in pounds over 2024’s collection. The Extension Office has started distributing peanut butter to selected food pantries and will complete all drop-offs by November 21, prior to Thanksgiving
The peanut butter was collected through “Good people in the community helping fight hunger with peanut butter, rather than corporate sponsorships,” said Tracy Akers Williams, the UF/IFAS Extension Duval County Marketing Manager who has facilitated the Peanut Butter Challenge the past two years. “So far, food pantries have been thrilled to receive the peanut butter this year, even more so than in previous years.”
Other counties around the state decided to extend the challenge into the third week of November, so the statewide bragging rights champion title (for the most peanut butter collected) is still waiting to be crowned. Results will be shared on December 1, 2025.
“We are grateful to the Jacksonville community for coming together to help address hunger through this initiative,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “The dramatic increase in the amount of peanut butter collected in Duval County this year reaffirms my belief that our city has a big heart.”
Special thanks go to the City’s JaxCares initiative, Duval County Property Appraiser Office, Duval County Extension Master Gardeners, Jacksonville Garden Club, 4-H Clubs of Duval County, Jacksonville Public Libraries, Standard Feed and Seed, Parks and Recreation, Kappa Alpha Psi Alumni Silhouettes, Wild Birds Unlimited, Mother Midway AME Church, and all citizens who donated. Also, thank you to those who helped spread the word, including WJXT’s River City Live, and Se Hola Espanol en Jacksonville.
About City of Jacksonville Parks, Recreation and Community Services: The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) serves diverse populations of all ages and abilities through recreation activities and programs, conservation and marine resources, senior services, social services, disabled services, and extension services serving one million residents in Duval County. PRCS offers over 400 parks and recreational spaces. For more information about The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, visit https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation.
About UF/IFAS Extension: The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College and Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. Ifas.ufl.edu | @UF_IFAS. For more, visit: https://youtu.be/e0CV-OKCKPk and https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/421d6bb7503e42b6aaeb0123c7349ec2
About the City of Jacksonville
The City of Jacksonville is the largest city by land mass in the contiguous United States, serving one million residents. City of Jacksonville leadership includes Mayor Donna Deegan and a 19-member City Council led by President Kevin Carrico. To learn more, visit jacksonville.gov.