Imagine if somebody handed you 344 M&M’s. And then another 344 M&M’s tomorrow. And that kept going on all year long. Believe it or not, a plant out in New Jersey makes 2-billion M&M’s every day. That’s enough to give every man, woman, and child in Wisconsin 344 M&M’s every day…forever! You have the Spanish Civil war in the 1930s to thank for the unique candy-coating. Soldiers needed a way to carry chocolate with them in warmer clients, and when Forrest Mars saw this, he knew there was a great product in the making. Mars, along with Hershey’s president William Murrie, partnered up to form M & M, Limited. Production began in 1941 and the first major customer of this unique candy was another military outfit. This time the US Army, who gave them to soldiers fighting in tropical climates in the Pacific theater. In fact, the US Army was the one and only customer for the first few years. By the end of World War II, the popularity with our soldiers had spread to the rest of the country and demand was huge. After the war, they came up with an advertising slogan that’s still strong 70 years later: It’s the candy that “melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” Enjoy this little slice of Americana for free this week by picking up a free sharing size package of M&M’s with your $15 grocery purchase at Fresh Madison Market.

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