By Maddox Weddle
Peanuts, sea salt, almonds and more are what you might expect big-brand nut butter to include, but they often include other ingredients that aren’t as healthy.
Senior Nicki Southerland and her family have always preferred to eat a healthier diet. They believe that if something has a short shelf life, then it’s a healthier item to eat.
“I was frustrated when I went to the store and all the peanut butter and almond butter options they all have extra preservatives and extra added oil and sugars and I just wanted something that didn’t have all that stuff,” Southerland said. “It’s easy to (make) at home and I thought other people could really benefit from it too.”
Southerland has made peanut butter for the past couple of years. Just last summer, she thought it was a great idea to make it a business.
“I was looking for a summer job and I couldn’t find one to fit a busy schedule so I thought if I made my own business then I could work my own hours and I can make money that way and it just went from there,” Southerland said.
Once she got her nut butter business running, she started selling her peanut butter at the Yorktown farmers’ market at the Yorktown Compass Church.
She also sells her peanut butter on her Instagram account: @nuttin.butter.than.this. She promotes it by posting new flavors and when she is going to be at the farmers’ market.
For now, her business is something that she can keep up with as a high school student. However, she will be even busier next year when she goes to the University of Notre Dame for cross-country and track. She received a full-ride scholarship for her outstanding distance running.
Southerland would like to continue her business as long as she can, but she doesn’t know if she will be able to because she will be majoring in biochemistry as well as competing in Division 1 athletics. For now, she makes sure she has enough time to get it done.
“I hope to (continue this business). I definitely plan to this summer and when I go off to Notre Dame, but it depends if I have time,” Southerland said.
Nicki’s mom, Jen Southerland, has been supportive of her business since the start. She helps pack her stuff for the farmers’ market and prints labels.
“I spread the word about her products through word-of-mouth,” Jen Southerland said. “I hope that she can continue her business in some capacity.”
Some teachers have been supportive with Southerland’s business and one of those teachers that sticks out is her math teacher, Mrs. Erica Pluimer. She bought Southerland’s peanut butter and she likes everything about it.
“(I like that) her peanut butter is homemade with all-natural ingredients,” Pluimer said.
The students of Delta also support Southerland’s business by purchasing and promoting it. The Eagles Zone News class has had her featured on an episode before so she could highlight her business to the entire school.
With the support of her family, friends and people at Delta, she has built her business from the ground up. She will just have to wait and see if she is not too busy to continue this business
