GA farmers donate 70K+ jars of peanut butter

TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) - As peanut season gets underway, Georgia’s 4,500 peanut farmers are donating an additional 50,400 jars of peanut butter to several food banks.

A donation of 20,160 jars of peanut butter have already been distributed to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Second Harvest of South Georgia in March. America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, Feeding the Valley Food Bank, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Golden Harvest Food Bank, and Middle Georgia Community Food Bank are next to get the peanut butter.

The donation is made possible by the Georgia Peanut Commission through Peanut Proud, and SouthernAG Carriers, who donated their trucking services to deliver the peanut butter. The peanut butter is manufactured with Georgia-grown peanuts by Tara Foods in Albany.

“As a farmer, we are proud to partner with Georgia food banks to help feed more of our neighbors in need during this time of uncertainty for many families,” says Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission. “Peanut butter is one of the most requested food items at food banks due to its shelf life. Peanuts are a nutritional superfood which contain more protein than any other nut, as well as a good source of vitamin E and folate.”

“We are grateful to partner with the Georgia Peanut Commission and Peanut Proud to help feed more struggling Georgians during these difficult times,” said Callie Roan, Corporate Partnerships Manager of the Georgia Food Bank Association. “Georgia’s food banks have been responding to a sustained 50% increase in the need for food assistance in Georgia since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This donation of protein-rich peanut butter will contribute greatly to the food banks’ shared mission of ending hunger in our state.”

Peanuts are Georgia’s official state crop, and the state boasts the largest share of peanut production in the U.S. at nearly 53 percent for the 2020 crop. Georgia’s 4,500 peanut farmers contribute approximately $2 billion annually to the state and local economy.