For those engaged in production of Alabama grown products or value-added products with at least 50 percent of the ingredients grown in Alabama, or a commitment to source at least 50 percent of ingredients from Alabama farmers, if available. Eligible to use the “Sweet Grown Alabama” logo.
For associations, institutions, retailers, restaurants, businesses, farmers markets and agritourism operations who support the mission and economic benefit of the branding program to Alabama but do not have a product to brand themselves. Eligible to use the “Sweet Grown Alabama Associate” logo.
Membership Benefits
- Licensing rights to use the Sweet Grown Alabama logo (A recent Auburn University study concluded consumers were willing to pay up to $1.00 more at the farmers market for certain items branded "Sweet Grown Alabama" vs. non-branded items from Alabama.)
Your business and products listed in our searchable online consumer database
Statewide branding through traditional and social media advertising campaigns
Consumer advocacy on your behalf encouraging local eating and purchasing
Marketing and supply chain support
Opportunities to submit your products for purchase in our annual Christmas box sale or Farm to Table Dinner event
Networking, online educational materials and exclusive event invitations (including deeply discounted tickets to our annual Farm to Table Dinner)
Access to the Sweet Grown Alabama Members-Only Facebook group of farmers, local business owners and more
Opportunities to share your story through our monthly e-newsletter and online blog page
Use of Sweet Grown Alabama logo as USDA-approved country of origin identification for international trade
Annual Membership Dues
Dues are $100 annually for full membership and the right to use the Sweet Grown Alabama logo on product packaging, company website, farm sign, etc., and for inclusion in the Sweet Grown Alabama online database.
Sponsorship opportunities begin at $2,500. For more information on sponsorships, please contact Ellie Watson.
Check out this 13 minute webinar for an in-depth look into Sweet Grown Alabama membership and benefits!
Testimonials
“As a result of our membership with Sweet Grown Alabama, we were able to connect with the Alabama RC&D Councils. After seeing that we were a member of Sweet Grown Alabama, they contacted us to share our flowers at the Sweet Grown Alabama Luncheon during the 2021 Annual Convention. They have also invited us to return this year. This has been quite an honor and an amazing opportunity that would not have been possible had we not been members of Sweet Grown Alabama.”
"Sweet Grown Alabama has helped us grow and expand our business. We were having a hard time marketing our spices until we were contacted to be featured in the Sweet Grown Alabama Christmas boxes. Since then, we have had a hard time keeping them in stock. We were able to expand our customer base and encourage anyone to join."
"Thank you Sweet Grown Alabama for being a champion of our state’s producers. Your program is changing lives and your support for small businesses and farms is making a difference!"
"Having this membership has allowed us to meet and befriend many wonderful farmers from around the state. However, the most important thing is that our membership has allowed people to look us up online and locate a local farm that produces fresh locally grown vegetables."
"We were thrilled to be featured at the Sweet Grown Alabama Farm to Table event in Robertsdale. Our wine was very popular and we received local exposure. We hope to gain future sales from the event."
“Up until we received a call from Terry Landry, owner of Bayou Pecan Company, we ordered our pecans for our cinnamon pecan honey from California. We didn't know it at the time, but Bayou Pecan Company was exactly what we needed to offer our customers a beautiful local product. Thanks to Sweet Grown Alabama, not only do we share products with Terry and his wife, Kim, but we have developed a wonderful friendship with them as well.”
"I love the idea that someone is out there everday promoting us. We know we don't have time to do it all, because when we get home from our day jobs we are busy on the farm. Sweet Grown Alabama has allowed us to get done what we need to here on the farm, while they are out being our voice"
"Since becoming a member of Sweet Grown Alabama in 2020, I have not only had consumers contact me directly from Sweet Grown Alabama but it has also allowed me to connect and collaborate with other farmers throughout the state. At the end of the day we all have a product to move and our membership has been an awesome foundation for our marketing on our family flower farm.”
"Sweet grown Alabama has been a great thing for my operation, it has allowed us to put more of our crops into schools as well as help the public realize that there are local producers who feed our state and nation. Wherever they see the Sweet Grown Alabama sign, they can be assured of a local producer with quality product for sale."
"Being a member of Sweet Grown Alabama has allowed us to network with other Alabama farmers who face some of the same challenges, even though we may grow different crops. We are so appreciative of the work Sweet Grown Alabama does to celebrate the success of Alabama agriculture. We especially applaud their efforts to bring more awareness to flower farming as a legitimate business in our state."
"The Sweet Grown Alabama team has been an awesome source for networking, marketing, support and ideas for our lavender farm on top of beautiful Sand Mountain, in Fort Payne, Alabama. From the moment we joined Sweet Grown Alabama the connections we made with fellow farms have been so helpful! We look forward to all that Sweet Grown Alabama offers and our mile walk of lavender blooms starting in May/June 2023 as we continue, 'harvesting joy' at Grand Oaks Farm."
"Our membership with Sweet Grown Alabama has allowed us to connect with cattle producers across the state of Alabama. We are able to buy Alabama beef to supply our nonprofit that feeds Alabama families. The whole Sweet Grown Alabama team has been an absolute pleasure to work with and we are huge proponents of the Sweet Grown organization!"
"When I first made the decision to move away from traditional row crops and focus on fresh produce, I knew marketing was my number one priority. After doing my research and finding Sweet Grown Alabama, I immediately joined. From the beginning, the resources offered were more than worth the price of my membership. The Sweet Grown staff have gone out of their way to help in every way possible. The online searchable database listing our farm on the map with all our products offered has brought in countless customers who would have never known we were here."
"As a small family owned farm, being a part of Sweet Grown Alabama has really assisted us in getting the word out to our community that we are here for all their fresh produce needs. This organization brings farmers, ranchers, orchardists, chefs, roadside markets and so many others together to promote Alabama-grown food and products. Like family, its only interest is helping the growth, sustainability, profitability and future of Alabama agriculture and we are honored to be a part of that."
"Since joining Sweet Grown Alabama, we have been provided with amazing opportunities and invaluable connections. Not only have we been offered the chance to connect with other Alabama owned businesses, but we have been introduced to unique products and have gained fantastic customers that may not have known about us without our connection to Sweet Grown Alabama. Their team is so helpful and responsive and truly wants to see all Alabama businesses succeed. We have even had our pecans and restaurant promoted on Simply Southern TV due to our connection to Sweet Grown Alabama."
"We have been members of Sweet Grown Alabama since May 2020. Since this time, we have had many inquiries about our farm and what we do. Whenever we ask the question of how they heard about us, more times than not the reply is “Sweet Grown Alabama." Several of these have turned into repeat customers purchasing our pasture raised poultry and pork as well as our grass fed beef and lamb. What’s great about Sweet Grown is it draws people to us who would normally be outside of our realm of reach."
"As a result of attending the pop-up farmers market outside of the Tomato Sandwich Lunch in Montgomery this year, I was interviewed about my farm. The next day, my phone was ringing off the hook with folks from all over wanting to drive down to Robertsdale and buy my product. I sold out that very day!"
"As a small cattle rancher in Mathews, Alabama, being a member of Sweet Grown Alabama has allowed us to market, associate and network with other Alabama farmers. Sweet Grown Alabama has helped us develop rapport and share with the community that we raise and sell top of the line fresh beef. In addition, we have met and gained wonderful customers through our membership thanks to Sweet Grown Alabama. We are honored to be a part of Sweet Grown Alabama."
"Having the opportunity to share our flowers at the annual Sweet Grown Alabama Farm to Table Dinner was an amazing experience. We felt honored, grateful and seeing how everyone loved them and their comments made us really proud of the work we are doing."
"We can't thank Sweet Grown Alabama enough for including us in a stellar line up of Bama made products! Their mission to promote small family businesses and farmers has helped us tremendously by bringing awareness of our products to more customers."
"JBW Farm Fresh would like to thank Sweet Grown Alabama's ambassador program and Kathy's Southern Kitchen for sharing a video cooking our grass-fed beef brisket. As a direct result of this video, we have gained over 100 new followers and a potential customer called to get more information on a half cow purchase from our farm!"
“We were honored to be included in the 2023 Sweet Grown Alabama Christmas boxes. Sweet Grown Alabama has given our small cottage food business so many opportunities since joining and we continue to be blessed through our membership. We source as much as we can for our products through other Sweet Grown Alabama members and local farmers. The exposure from being included in the Christmas box has brought us so many amazing marketing opportunities - we are eternally grateful to Sweet Grown Alabama”
“Sweet Grown Alabama has provided us the opportunity to participate in multiple events allowing us to expose our brand and grow our small family business. We were thrilled when we received notification that our best selling product was selected to be in the Christmas boxes, where future customers would be able to experience the difference between a mass produced product and our hand crafted pecan treats. We are proud and honored to display the Sweet Grown Alabama logo on our retail product packaging.”
“We have been proud members of Sweet Grown Alabama for 3 years, and love what they are doing for farmers and producers all across the state. We were also delighted to have our products in this year's Christmas Boxes alongside SO many other fantastic products!”
“Sweet Grown Alabama has given us the wonderful opportunity to share our farm & products with more people. We have even gained many new customers due to being a member of Sweet Grown Alabama.”
“My business partner and I were out checking bees when I saw a Facebook post saying our creamed cinnamon honey would be included in this year’s Christmas boxes. I told him to give it 10 minutes and my phone would be ringing with orders. Four minutes later, the first call came and since then many more orders have come in. I ask customers two questions, how do you use the honey and where did you hear about us. Many times they’ve found us through the Sweet Grown Alabama website! I just can’t say enough good things about this organization and the ladies who work so hard promoting Alabama agricultural products.”
“Sweet Grown Alabama is busy all year long educating the general population about why they should support local farmers and letting them know who those local farmers are. I am continually impressed with the time, effort and energy that Sweet Grown Alabama gives on my behalf. As a flower farmer, I am so thankful to be a member of such a great organization.”
"Within a few weeks of joining Sweet Grown Alabama, they connected us with Peach Park and the Priester’s Pecans retail store to get our peanut butter products on the shelves of these two great stores. We're so thankful to be members of an organization that practically helps us expand our business."
Eligibility Criteria
- Agriculture Producers must provide a high-quality agricultural product (produce, meat, fiber, timber product, dairy product, plant, on-farm experience, etc.) produced on an Alabama farm to be eligible to participate in the Sweet Grown Alabama program.
- Food Manufacturers must provide a high-quality product with at least 50 percent of ingredient(s) in the finished product grown on an Alabama farm, or a commitment to source at least 50 percent of ingredients from Alabama farmers, if available.
- Non-food products such as wreaths, soaps, oils, handcrafted items, textiles and others must be produced with at least 50 percent of the materials in the finished product grown on an Alabama farm.
- For a restaurant to be eligible as an Associate Member, the restaurant must have an interest in using Sweet Grown Alabama ingredients and supporting Sweet Grown Alabama’s mission. Restaurants will receive a "Proudly Serving Sweet Grown Alabama Ingredients" window decal. Click here to view our restaurant membership flier.
- For a retailer to be eligible as an Associate Member, the retailer must sell Sweet Grown Alabama products and/or commit to sell Sweet Grown Alabama products when available.
- For a farmer’s market to be eligible as an Associate Member, the market must consist of Alabama farmers selling Alabama agricultural products.
- For a business, association, institution or organization to be eligible as an Associate Member, the entity must have an interest in supporting Sweet Grown Alabama’s mission.
- For an agritourism operation, wildlife or wedding venue to be eligible as an Associate Member, they must operate within the state of Alabama and have an agricultural or wildlife connection.
- All products listed on the Sweet Grown Alabama website and bearing the logo must meet or exceed U.S. Government and/or State of Alabama standards and regulations where applicable. Members and their products must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
- The member shall agree that the Sweet Grown Alabama logo shall only be used on first quality products, grown in Alabama, that meet the US #1 Quality Grade Standard, or higher U.S. Grade Standards, whichever is the accepted USDA industry grade standard for that commodity. The logo shall not be used on secondary labels or cull products.
- Any processed, cooked or manufactured item must be produced and packaged to accepted industry standards in an approved kitchen or facility.
- Sweet Grown Alabama members must have at least one (1) business office or farming operation in Alabama.
- Associate Membership in the Sweet Grown Alabama program will be revoked if the organization specifically attempts to disparage the mission and goals of the program. No membership dues will be refunded.
Membership Renewals
Membership renewals will be on an annual rolling basis. If your membership is paid January - June, you will be invoiced in January of the following year and your invoice will be due at the end of June. If your membership is paid July - December, you will be invoiced in July of the following year and your invoice will be due in December.