BATAVIA – State Treasurer Dan Rutherford and state Sen. Karen McConnaughay traded friendly barbs Monday before storming the aisles of Jewel-Osco in Batavia to stock two local food pantries with more than $2,000 worth of groceries.

After six minutes had passed, each had filled several carts with more than $1,000 worth of nonperishable foods. Rutherford, who said this year was the first time he had participated in the Kane County Farm Bureau’s 12th annual Food Check-Out Challenge, beat his opponent by filling carts with $1,174.56 worth of food to benefit the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry.

Rutherford said he purchased items that he likes and items he’s never heard of before. He joked that one of the secrets to his shopping success is having big hands.