Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
It is where fresh food and local products meet friendly faces. This Saturday, July 13th is the 3rd annual Sweet Grown Alabama Day. The goal is to get the state of Alabama to support local farmers and the agriculture industry.
Sweet Grown Alabama is a non-profit agricultural branding program, that celebrates and helps to promote all things locally grown.
“To Sweet Grown Alabama, supporting local is really the biggest thing that we tell people to do. It is the whole reason for our being, to support local and put dollars back into farmers’ pockets,” Assistant Director of Sweet Grown Alabama Aisling Walding said.
Studies have shown that for every dollar spent locally, 60 cents is reinvested right back into the local economy, Walding confirmed. Walding also stated that produce in the big-name grocery stores, from field to plate that produce, has likely traveled over 1,500 miles.
“We want to cut down on transportation emissions and make Alabama more sustainable. Especially when you can just buy from a friend that you know down the road. You’re getting it at peak ripeness, you’re getting a product that’s better for you. It’s just an all-around win -win for us,” Walding said.
Sweet Grown Alabama has a list of farmers markets throughout the state, which can be found on their website, at https://www.sweetgrownalabama.org/posts/2023/07/07/sweet-grown-alabama-day
Not only does Sweet Grown basically do all the heavy lifting of searching how to support local, they also have an online database by zip code. The database lists local products that are available year-round, and not just in the farmers’ market months.
Individuals can search for anything from local baked goods, alpaca products, bee’s wax candles to meat and other traditional farm produce, all throughout the state of Alabama.
“Our biggest thing is supporting Alabama’s economy and doing that through supporting Alabama’s farmers. Alabama farmers grow using the safest, most scientifically sound practices that there are. When we support them, we are giving them the funds to be able to continue to create a high-quality product for the future,” Walding said.
From the field to the table, Sweet Grown Alabama and the local farmers that span a huge portion of our beautiful state, have you covered for all things local.
