Growing up on her family’s quarter horse farm helped Macady Haws, former president of the Grantsville FFA in Utah, develop a strong appreciation for agriculture. Haws paired that appreciation with her passion for fashion and created a successful clothing line – along with an effective way to advocate for the agriculture industry.
Haws established 28 Miles West Clothing Co. as part of a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) project during her senior year at Grantsville High School in 2018. She says she felt lost when it came time to choose an SAE because she wasn’t interested in more traditional projects centered around raising livestock or planting crops. But that changed when she realized she could create her own clothing line through an Ownership/Entrepreneurship SAE.
“I knew I had to find something that truly piqued my interest, and fashion has always been one of those things,” says Haws, who also owns and operates a Western lifestyle and portrait photography business. “For my SAE, I decided to develop a clothing line that was rooted in ag advocacy because that’s important to me, and I know there’s such a need for it. There are so many people who think food comes from a can and have little to no knowledge about farming and agriculture, and that needs to change.”
With the goal of connecting consumers and farmers through everyday apparel, Haws got to work sourcing inspiration and creating designs for her new endeavor. She quickly found success, selling her first piece of clothing on Oct. 8, 2018.
Since then, what began as an SAE has grown into a full-time job, and today, 28 Miles West Clothing Co. offers a varied collection of graphic T-shirts for men, women and children emblazoned with pro-ag sayings such as No Farmer No Food and If You Ate Today, Thank a Farmer. Haws has also created bumper stickers, hats and other items, all of which carry her message.
“I live 28 miles west of Salt Lake City, Utah – that’s where my clothing line name comes from – and many of the people I’ve met there don’t realize how close agriculture is to them and what a huge part the ag industry plays in our state, our country and our world,” Haws says. “I’ve seen firsthand the sacrifices farmers and ranchers make, and that keeps me committed to bringing awareness to the importance of agriculture.”
