In these tough times, the savior for small organic farmers may be none other than Wal-Mart (WMT).

Yes, Wal-Mart, purveyor of all things made in China, is actually helping local U.S. farmers stay in business as the economy has squashed demand for organic products, according to The Atlantic.

• Video: Is Wal-Mart good or bad for America?

Writer Corby Kummer searched through a Massachusetts Wal-Mart and found apples that came from the same local orchard as ones at rival Whole Foods Market (WFMI). Organic bananas and peaches were tastier at Wal-Mart than other stores.

The packaged carrots and celery, however, were flavorless. And while Wal-Mart beats on prices for milk and paper plates, the prices for produce were similar to Whole Foods, Kummer writes.

There's a deeper mission at work here. Wal-Mart now supports small and medium-sized American farms with a program called "Know your farmer, know your food."

The idea is to encourage farms within a day's drive of Wal-Mart's warehouses, Kummer writes. Why? Because there's a growing demand for locally grown food, not products shipped in from Chile and other countries. And by contracting directly with local farmers, Wal-Mart cuts out the middle man and saves money.

Of course, all of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Wal-Mart isn't turning into a farmer's market anytime soon, and it's not going to bankrupt Whole Foods, either. But it does see where demand is headed, and it's trying to capture that -- along with a new category of customers that have turned their nose up at the idea of Wal-Mart groceries.

"I’m not sure I’m convinced that the world’s largest retailer is set on rebuilding local economies it had a hand in destroying, if not literally, then in effect," writes Kummer. "But I’m convinced that if it wants to, a ruthlessly well-run mechanism can bring fruits and vegetables back to land where they once flourished, and deliver them to the people who need them most."