Peanut Butter

Did you know that there is a peanut shortage? Not as many fields of peanuts were planted this past summer. Cotton prices were at a high, so some farmers planted cotton instead of peanuts. A drought this summer killed other peanut fields and then crop diseases took out a few more. The end result is that you will be paying more for peanut products this coming year.

Why am I blogging about peanut crops? It’s because peanut butter is important in our household. Jake asks for a PBJ at least five morning a week. If we’d let him, some days he’d eat one at every meal. When Kara and great-grandma started talking about the peanut shortage, I knew we had to act quickly.

I went out to Costco and purchased eight 48-oz jars of Skippy creamy peanut butter, which is my favorite. Then I went to Sam’s Club and purchased ten 40-oz jars of Jif creamy peanut butter which is what Kara buys for the children. They will eat either Skippy or Jif. We should be safe through the end of next summer when the peanut shortage should be over.

Or will it? The experts say that the peanut shortage has been coming on for a while now. Plantings have dropped 25% over the last 3 years—only 10% this past year. And the yields have not been strong lately. This shortage might go on and on and on. Should I purchased more?! Maybe we should try and wean Jake from peanut butter? I’m not giving up my peanut butter, but I don’t eat as much as Jake does.