New Movement to Save Family Farms: Demand American Grown

March 02, 2020

Field in South Dade's Redland agricultural district

If you want to support local farmers, you’re going to have to let your grocery store know, over and over, that they need to carry local produce when it’s in season, not just imports from Mexico and Central America.

That’s the message from Lawton “Bud” Chiles III. “The American farm is under attack because of a rigged system that crushes the local farm — the backbone of America,” he says. He’s launched American Grown, an initiative to get folks to support local farms. “We’ve lost over 100,000 American farms in only five years,” he says. “If this continues, we won’t be able to feed our own population.”

Chiles knows something about farming – and politics. For the past six years, he and his wife have been growing blueberries at the 50-acre organic farm, Jubilee Orchards, in Tallahassee. His father was Florida governor Lawton Chiles from 1991-1998, and Bud campaigned as an independent in the state gubernatorial race in 2010. Today, through American Grown, he wants to help consumers understand what’s happening in farming and enlist fellow growers along the way.

Photo 1: Photo: Jubilee Orchards

Photo 2: Blueberry varieties grown at Jubilee include Farthing, SuziBlue, Georgia Dawn, Meadowlark, Emerald, IndigoCrisp, Rebel and Star Photo: Jubilee Orchards

“Mega-corporations now control the food supply in America. They are also dismantling it,” he says. “As food production moves to Third World countries, American farmers confront debt and foreclosure.”

American Grown got started eight months ago when Chiles called a meeting with state agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried in Lake City. He says only a few farmers were expected to show up. Instead, about 100 turned out. “All the arguments [in support of local farming] are on our side – [preserving] the environment, the rural economy, fresh produce, the history and culture of farms in our community.”

Chiles is coming to South Florida Mar. 4 to bring his message to growers at the Miami-Dade Extension office in Homestead. “I want my fellow growers to join with me in an effort to get consumers aware of how unfair trade practices are hurting our farms,” he says.

The 200-yr-old cabin Chiles' father had restored at Jubilee

Photo 1: The 200-year-old cabin Chiles' father had restored at Jubilee Photo: Jubilee Orchards

Photo 2: Jubilee Orchards hosts u-picks and farm-to-table events in season Photo: Jubilee Orchards

American Grown is not the only initiative aiming to bring awareness to the public about the solutions to ease the plight of local farmers. Locally, Taste of Redland has partnered with Homestead Hospital and other South Dade businesses promoting their Locavore message. And several years ago, farmers Teena and Michael Borek of Teena’s Pride set up SAFFFE (Save American Family Farms from Extinction), a nonprofit that encourages customers to ask grocery store produce managers, customer service employees and corporate managers to buy local produce. Locally, the Redland Raised program identifies produce grown here, and on the state level, Fresh from Florida lists Florida-grown products, recipes and resources.

Like Taste of Redland and SAFFFE, American Grown urges consumers to shop for local produce at farmers markets and local farm stands. They also want everyone to tell produce managers they want locally grown foods and take pictures of produce to post on social media. That could mean positive reinforcement by thanking the store for stocking local foods – or negative posts about failing to carry local produce when it’s in season.

FIND OUT MORE

American Grown

Chiles will speak about Demand American Grown on Mar. 4 at 3pm at at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Homestead. The event is free and open to the public.