Consumers share ideas for made in America gifts to put under the Christmas tree
With Christmas just five days away, Americans weighed in to share the one, must-have item made in America they'd recommend for the holidays, ranging from doggie treats and beer to bed sheets.
Red Land Cotton in Moulton, Alabama, uses cotton from the Yeager family's farm near Bankhead National Forest.
"We're a small, family-owned business taking the cotton that we grow and manufacturing those fibers into bedding and bath towels made 100 percent in the USA," the family said.
The farm, which has been in the family for three generations, harvested 3.5 million pounds of cotton this season. The company employs 15 workers who sew quilts and towels and other products.
Susana McMann from San Diego said her one item was the nylon chew from the Bullibone Co. in Illinois.
"It's the only chew my dog loves because it's flavored throughout the entire bone. ... Everything from the ingredients to the boxes they're shipped in are made in America," she said.
Brothers David and Daniel Kleban suggested the Maine Beer Co., which they started in Freeport, Maine, in 2009.
"Our motto is do what's right. That's why from day 1, we've donated 1 percent of all annual sales to environmental nonprofits. We encourage all small businesses across the country to do the same, especially during this holiday season," Daniel Kleban said.
Their company has 48 workers and fills 7,200 bottles an hour.
There was also the Tillamook County Creamery Association, established in 1909, which produces dairy products including cheese and ice cream. Many of the farmers and workers in Oregon's tiny Tillamook County have been around for generations.
"There's just so much history here," said Kristin Harner, who's worked at Tillamook for three years. "There's literally just a pride in this product that I don't think can be replicated."
The co-op includes 85 family-owned farms. The creamery produces 220,000 pounds of cheddar cheese a day and 25,000 gallons of ice cream a day. Its products are shipped to all 50 states.
"There's a lot of pride, not just within the company, but within the entire town," said Christopher Fox, who's worked at Tillamook for three years. "Tillamook is just -- if you go around town, everybody's gonna tell you how, you know, how awesome the cheese is."
"I think because Tillamook is owned by the farmers here, we all have a kind of 'bigger than us' attitude. We don't feel like, that it's just ours. We feel like it's ours, together, and we all want it to be here for the next generations too," said farmer Joe Rocha.
And, finally, there was East Fork Pottery and Home Goods in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains.
"They make the most beautiful dishes from regionally sourced, stonework clay. ... These dishes will last you a lifetime," said Sandra Godwin from Ashville, North Carolina.
