Demand American Grown

New non-profit fights for the American farmer

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

“We are American Grown. Made up of farmers and consumers from across the United States, we come together to sound the alarm about the catastrophic decline of the American farm and what it means to our farmers, our communities and the country as a whole.”

That is how, on their website, the new non-profit and pro-farmer movement, Demand American Grown, introduces itself.

Throughout history, the task of farming has never been an easy trade – and while many technological advances have been made in the world of farming, many things remain the same: bad weather can ruin a farm's crop, poor market prices can run a farmer out of business and pests still threaten the health of crops.
But many things have changed from “the olden days” of farming, and that is the presence of mega-corporate entities that purchase food (and other items) from foreign countries that pay workers less, treat field hands unfairly and can therefore afford to sell products for a mere portion of what the product is worth.

According to Demand American Grown, the decisions larger businesses have made to support foreign farmers over the farmers in their own backyards have forced thousands of American farmers to lose their farms and has plummeted local farmers in debt just to keep their family's farm.

It is with that in mind that Demand American Grown has started up an initiative to empower growers and consumers to fight for American farms and request businesses to support local farming.

“The more we outsource our farming, the weaker we become,” Demand American Grown states.

The two million plus family farms in America are facing a profound economic crisis. Over 100,000 farms have been lost to foreclosures in only the last five years. Farm debt is at an all-time high of over $400 billion dollars.

But, Demand American Grown believes that all can change, and it is their mission to ensure it changes for the better.

Launched in January of this year, Demand American Grown is the campaign of Bud Wheeler, a Tallahassee farmer and grower at Jubilee Orchards – a blueberry u-pick production.

Wheeler's non-profit organization offers several ways for locals – farmers and consumers alike – to get involved and demand more American-grown produce be offered on the general American market.

Consumers can get involved by:
Purchasing locally grown, seasonal produce at your local grocery store. More often than not, if produce is not currently in season in your region, purchasing it will benefit other farmers in other parts of the world.
When you purchase local produce, take a photo of the company label and showcase your purchase on social media – let your friends and families know about the opportunities around them to support local farmers!
Visit your local farmer's market whenever you can, or buy directly from local farms. Many farms offer U-pick options or will send produce directly to an inquiring consumer.

Make a tax-deductible donation to Demand American Grown; your donation will go towards helping the organization demand more grocery stores offer local produce options.

Subscribe to the Demand American Grown newsletter to stay up-to-date on recent news involving the organization. You can subscribe at demandamericangrown.org.

Farmers can get involved by:
Subscribe to the Demand American Grown newsletter to stay up-to-date on recent news involving the organization and matters that impact American farmers. You can subscribe at demandamericangrown.org.
Call the Demand American Grown hotline about issues that your farm is facing. Send a voicemail message to the organization at 1-855-USGROWN / 1 (855) 874-7696 and leave your first name, the state you are calling from and the matter that is on your mind – the organization will make sure that your voice is heard and the issues impacting American farmers is brought to light.
Follow the Demand American Grown blog to stay up-to-date on news, articles and more at demandamericangrown.org/blog.