By Frank Giles
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series featuring state marketing programs across the Southeast.
While Sweet Grown Alabama considers itself a “new kid on the block” among state marketing programs, it has garnered a considerable following since its inception in 2019. Today, more than 500 farms, markets, product makers, stores and restaurants have joined the program. The nonprofit organization is a collaboration between the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, the Alabama Farmers Federation and other organizations.
“Alabama farmers have gotten behind Sweet Grown Alabama and adopted this program wholeheartedly since its inception,” says Ellie Watson, director of Sweet Grown Alabama. “Our farmers were previously at a disadvantage without a state program to promote Alabama-grown products, and they have been eager to participate since we began. From wholesale tomatoes grown on Sand Mountain to small-batch jams and jellies, pecans harvested in South Alabama or honey collected by Alabama beekeepers, we have grown this community and seen so many farms band together to promote Sweet Grown Alabama products as a whole.”
Program Benefits
According to Watson, growers benefit from the association with the Sweet Grown Alabama brand. The program’s website, SweetGrownAlabama.org, received more than 90,000 hits last year from consumers looking to buy locally grown produce, and those numbers are expected to be larger this year.
“Auburn University conducted a study for us on consumers’ willingness to pay for products with the Sweet Grown Alabama logo,” Watson says. “At farmers’ markets across the state, they found consumers were willing to pay $1.01 more for a basket of sweet potatoes branded with the Sweet Grown Alabama logo when placed next to an identical basket that simply said, ‘grown in Alabama. So, we know this marketing works, and we know consumers are looking for the Sweet Grown Alabama logo. Being a member of our program and using the logo on products is a great way to ensure farmers and product makers receive the price premium they deserve for a healthy, local product.”
Other benefits include:
- Marketing and supply chain support
- Networking and educational event opportunities
- The ability to submit products for purchase at the program’s annual farm-to-table dinner and annual Christmas box sale
- A monthly e-newsletter with resources and promotion on social media and consumer newsletters
Visit SweetGrownAlabama.org/why-join to sign up for the program.
Click here to see the video part of the November 2025 digital edition of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine.