Sweet Grown Alabama has released its annual report for 2024, which highlights events hosted throughout the year and how they utilized funds to increase engagement.
Sweet Grown Alabama is finishing its sixth year of enhancing marketing opportunities for Alabama farmers by connecting retailers and consumers to Alabama-grown foods and other agricultural products. Sweet Grown Alabama visits conferences around the state and funds marketing campaigns to spread the word about these goods in magazines and radio.
In 2023, Sweet Grown Alabama received a $60,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to promote Alabama’s specialty crops at university football games during the 2024 season.
At six universities, a tailgate booth offered football fans free samples of seasonal local crops, like satsumas and pecans, and taught them how to access and prepare these products. Fans also completed a survey to share their knowledge and interest in buying Alabama specialty crops. The goal was to raise awareness and encourage people to buy local crops by reaching a different, larger audience.
Sweet Grown Alabama also enlisted the help of three influencers, two of which were NIL athletes at the University of Alabama, to their second class of program ambassadors to promote local agriculture to a combined 165,000 followers.
In September, Sweet Grown Alabama was awarded another Specialty Crop Block Grant. This time, the USDA awarded $73,500 to continue funding local influencers that will promote specialty crops on social media.
Sweet Grown Alabama has also received a $300,000 appropriation from the General Fund to operate and connect farmers with communities. This comes from the Agricultural Development Services Program General Fund appropriation of $1,003,874, nearly a third of its budget.
