JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 2026 Duval County Peanut Butter Challenge will run from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 to collect food donations for area families facing food insecurity. The effort is part of a statewide initiative organized by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The annual drive encourages community members to donate unopened, unexpired jars of peanut butter and other spreads. Collected donations will be delivered to local food pantries before the holiday season as Florida counties compete to see which can gather the most peanut butter.
Duval County has participated in the Peanut Butter Challenge for four years. Between 2022 and 2025, the county collected 6,035 jars of peanut butter, totaling 8,055.96 pounds—more than four tons of food.
During those collection drives, Duval County placed in the Top three in the Northeast region and the Top five in Florida for total peanut butter gathered.
Drop-off sites across the county include the mezzanine floor at City Hall at 117 West Duval St., the front office of the UF/IFAS Extension Duval County at 1010 N. McDuff Ave., and front desks at Jacksonville Public Libraries. Additional collection locations are on the 10th floor of the Ed Ball Building at 214 N. Hogan St. and at the check-out counter of Standard Feed and Seed at 1236 Kings Rd.
Donations can be submitted by individual residents or through organized collection drives hosted by schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and civic organizations. Food pantries frequently request peanut butter because it is a shelf-stable and nutritious staple.
Donations gathered throughout October will be delivered to local food pantries following the drive’s conclusion on Oct. 31, ahead of the holiday season.
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