Starting in the basement of Rachel Granstra, the idea of increasing awareness for the amazing people like her Husband and thousands of other American Farmers nation-wide was born. Though it started as a handful of fun tee shirt designs, American Farm Company has grown into a national brand with more offerings added to their shop every week. Stepping out of her basement and into a new fulfillment warehouse in her town on Hospers, Iowa has allowed her to stay close to home, grow her business an also employ dozens of women in her home town. A cause near and dear to her heart.
Getting recognized by such a prestigious company such as Inc. 500 was never on her radar or a goal in mind. But, like most things; Rachel just went for it! And not only did AFC make the cut to be considered but we made it to the Top 10 in the entire region! Coming in at the 7th fastest growing company (and the #1 in retail) is an extreme honor for her. In her own words:
"So honored for the recognition and proud of my team for helping make this possible! Thankful for wonderful customers that support us!" - Rachel Granstra
Being in the position we are in now has allowed us to bring a lot of really fun and exciting products to market that our community has embraced with open arms.
Some of our kids items as well as our top-selling hair clips (that usually sell out) are great fun for the girls and myself but one thing we started last year was looking into taking our Farmers Water design and making a beer for our people! This is in the works and should be up for purchase at select shops before Harvest season!
Since she started, it's been a hectic ride because not once has she shifted her mindset from being a Mom and Farm Wife first. She homeschools her kids and still brings food out to her hubby in the field daily! Now, he gets to wear some amazing free AFC Mens gear in the process though!
Seeing the growth and support of her mission has only fueled her fire to bring this to the masses. The American Farmers & Ranchers that toil day in and day out for years on end to feed the world is something that should be on everyone's mind as they enjoy their food every day. Without them and all they do, there would be problems beyond comprehension.
So, if you've eaten today - thank a farmer. If you want to help her mission of raising awareness it's not so hard. Talk about it with your friends, family and co workers and shop locally. And if you want to shop locally while wearing your support - AFC has you covered!