Category: Health & Nutrition

Annual Peanut Butter Challenge: A Birthday Wish to End Hunger

by Jasi Romero
November 5, 2025

From Presents to Peanut Butter, A Gift That Gives Back In a world where small acts of kindness can ripple into big changes, one young girl in Polk County is proving that age is no barrier to making a meaningful impact. Meet London Brandt, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Work & Life
Tags: Charity, Donate, Featured, Featured Hot Topic, Florida Peanut Federation, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Food Banks, Food Pantries, PBChallenge, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Challenge, Polk County, PolkExtension, PolkPBChallenge, Spread The Love, Spread The Peanut Butter

Reassessing Meatless Monday: A Scientific Perspective on the Role of Meat in Sustainable Diets

by Bridget Stice and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
November 3, 2025

By Bridget Stice, UF/IFAS Extension Polk Meatless Monday campaigns urge the public to skip meat one day a week to "improve health and protect the planet". While reducing excessive consumption of any food can be beneficial, blanket campaigns ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Health & Nutrition, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Meat, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkco, SFBF, Sustainability

Growing and Cooking with Herbs: A New Episode of Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

by Anne Yasalonis, Julie Schelb and anikolaiAvatar photo
May 12, 2025

In this episode of Your Central Florida Yard podcast, Andrea Nikolai, the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, joins us to talk all things herbs! From growing to cooking, health benefits to recipe ideas, it's thyme for a fun episode! Many ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes
Tags: Andrea Nikolai, Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Family And Consumer Science, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Growing And Cooking, Health, Herbs, Master Gardener Volunteer, Nutrition, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Spices, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Annual Peanut Butter Challenge: 2024 Wrap Up

by Jasi Romero
December 23, 2024

Thank You, Polk County! The 2024 Peanut Butter Challenge, organized by UF/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Cooperative Extension, was a smooth success. This annual peanut butter jar collection brings communities together ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Anikolai, Charity, Donate, Education, Florida Peanut Federation, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Food Banks, Food Pantries, Hot Topic, Nutrition, PBChallenge, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Challenge, Polk County, PolkExtension, PolkPBChallenge, Spread The Love, Spread The Peanut Butter
buckets filled with jaars of peanut butter

Annual Peanut Butter Challenge: How One Girl is Giving Back

by Jasi Romero
December 9, 2024

Meet the Young Girl Inspiring Our Community with Her Peanut Butter Donation At just nine years old, London Brandt, is already making a difference in her community. Inspired by the kindness she sees around her and her desire to help those ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Charity, Donate, Florida Peanut Federation, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Food Banks, Food Pantries, PBChallenge, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Challenge, Polk County, PolkExtension, PolkPBChallenge, Spread The Love, Spread The Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Challenge Blog Header

Polk County’s 2025 Peanut Butter Challenge

by Jasi Romero
November 6, 2024

Join the Peanut Butter Challenge: Spread the Love! Get ready to go nuts for a great cause! The Peanut Butter Challenge is back, and it’s more exciting than ever! Hosted by UF/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Cooperative ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Events, Health & Nutrition, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Charity, Donate, Featured, Featured Hot Topic, Florida Peanut Federation, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Food Banks, Food Pantries, PBChallenge, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Challenge, Polk County, PolkExtension, PolkPBChallenge, Spread The Love, Spread The Peanut Butter
bags of canned food such as tuna and soup

Diabetes Hurricane Prep: Smart Pantry Staples to Keep Your Blood Sugar in Check

by anikolai
October 7, 2024

Let’s pretend you are preparing for a hurricane, and you’re taking stock of our pantry. What do you find? Chips, crackers, granola bars…and marshmallow Peeps. Now, while those might sound like classic hurricane snacks, they’re not exactly ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Health & Nutrition,
Tags: Anikolai, Carbohydrates, Diabetes, Health, Hurricane, Hurricane Preparedness, UF/IFAS Polk County
fridge shelf with sausage, garlic, and strawberries

Keeping it Fresh: How long is food still good after a power outage?

by anikolai
August 28, 2023

Keeping it Fresh: How long is food still good after a power outage? Whether a rat knocked out your freezer plug (that was actually the subject of the last phone call I received at my job), or the wrath of a hurricane leaves you powerless, situations ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Anikolai, Food Safety, Foodsafety, Hurricane, Hurricane Preparedness, UF/IFAS Polk County
Chia seed pudding with berries on top and kiwi on the bottom

How to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: Hacks Into Habits

by anikolai
December 27, 2022

Hacks to Habits What did the salad greens say to the hungry person? We will make your mouth and body happy if you "let-tuce"! Fruits and vegetables have a high nutrient density and fiber content and offer an abundance of health benefits, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Crops, Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Anikolai, Haveaplant, Health, Healthy, Healthy Living, Polk County, UF/IFAS

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