Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a rebrand of the Virginia Grown program during the 2022 Virginia Food and Beverage Expo on March 30.
The governor’s announcement was followed by the unveiling of a new Virginia Grown logo and a refreshed Virginia’s Finest logo. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers these programs, which are designed to market Virginia’s agricultural products to consumers and retailers.
“Given the current state of our nation’s economy and ongoing supply chain issues, it is imperative that Virginia supports our own. These focused and improved marketing programs are tools we can use to help Virginia farmers and agribusinesses succeed, both domestically and abroad,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.
A significant element of the program rebrand is the new tiered levels of program participation. The colors bronze, silver, and gold will be used within the new Virginia Grown logo to acknowledge enhanced levels of production practices and environmental sustainability efforts that producers employ.
A major component of the rebranding is the redesign of the www.VirginiaGrown.com website. The updated website includes a new interactive platform to improve consumer engagement and connect a diverse community of food-related businesses: buyers, farmers/ranchers, fisheries, farmers markets, processors/packers, wineries, restaurants, and more.
The new platform also provides Virginia producers the ability to highlight, update, and position their products to consumers, processors, and industry buyers. Buyers can register their businesses on VirginiaGrown.com to better connect with food producers who are seeking to grow, source, or sell just what the buyer needs.
“The new Virginia Grown website improves producer, buyer, and consumer interactions in finding Virginia Grown fruit, vegetables, meats, nursery products, and Virginia’s Finest specialty products,” said Joseph Guthrie, commissioner of VDACS.
VDACS developed the Virginia Grown domestic marketing program in 1995 to promote items grown or raised in the Commonwealth. Since then, the marketing program has grown to provide additional assistance to farmers, farmers markets, growers, and producers throughout Virginia.
The Virginia’s Finest program started in 1989 as a tool to enhance the economic opportunities and successes of Virginia’s specialty food companies, processors, and agricultural producers. The iconic VA checkmark within the logo is well-known by consumers and buyers as an indicator that they are purchasing top-quality Virginia-produced and processed products. This checkmark is prevalent in the refreshed Virginia’s Finest logo and is also a major component within the new Virginia Grown logo.
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