In July 2015, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture launched the first statewide, state-supported program – Indiana Grown – that creates a clearer designation of which products are truly farmed, produced and/or processed in Indiana. Through Indiana Grown, the term “local” started to take on an entirely new meaning.
By focusing on its three major components – including educating consumers on the importance of buying Indiana Grown products, increasing sales and networking opportunities for Indiana farmers, and expanding support for Indiana processers in their effort to process more Indiana Grown products – Indiana Grown has already witnessed great success for its more than 400 members.
With membership on the rise, Indiana Grown is continuing to build its portfolio of benefits with the launch of Indiana Grown Homegrown By Heroes, a program that aims to recruit Indiana Veterans to the agriculture industry.
The launch of this program was celebrated publically at the Indianapolis War Memorial on Feb. 29. In addition to the presence of many Indiana Grown representatives and members, Gov. Mike Pence, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Homegrown By Heroes and the Farmer Veteran Coalition offered support at the press conference announcing the new veteran-focused program.
Homegrown By Heroes is a national program administered by the Farmer Veteran Coalition that includes more than 250 members in 43 states, including Indiana. By teaming up with Indiana Grown, the new program gives local producers who have served in the military the opportunity to use an exclusively-designed logo on their business signage and/or product labels. As a result of this added marketing logo, consumers can easily identify products made by Hoosier veterans and support them through every purchase.
As the PR agency on record for ISDA’s Indiana Grown program, Dittoe PR worked diligently to build awareness through personalized media relations, resulting in more than 50 pieces of TV, digital and print coverage in the first week since launch. Our team is thrilled to play a role in telling the story of programs such as Indiana Grown that focus on better supporting Hoosiers and Hoosier veterans in agriculture.
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