Farmer Veteran Coalition, in conjunction with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Indiana Grown, are pleased to announce a new Homegrown By Heroes partnership with the state of Indiana.
The partnership was announced Monday at the Indiana War Memorial with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney in attendance.
“Helping our Hoosier veterans, who have selflessly served our state and nation, is a pillar of my administration,” said Governor Pence. “As our economy continues to grow, the Homegrown by Heroes program will help ensure that our Hoosier heroes have every opportunity to succeed when they return home from serving our state and nation. After putting their lives on the line for our freedom, helping them achieve success in their civilian affairs is the least we can do.”
With the announcement, the Homegrown By Heroes label now has partnerships with 12 states: Kentucky, Ohio, Arkansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Maine, and Indiana.
The Indiana Grown Homegrown By Heroes 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. This will help consumers who wish to show their support easily identify products made by Hoosier veterans.
To be eligible for the Indiana Grown Homegrown By Heroes program, the producer must meet all Indiana Grown membership criteria, as well as the following:
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• Have veteran, active duty, National Guard or Reserve member of the U.S. Armed Forces status, without regard to age or era of duty;
• Provide a copy of their Department of Defense Form 214 or equivalent;
• Have characterization of service of Honorable or General (under Honorable conditions);
• Provide a letter of support from their commanding officer or designated representative attesting to their service under honorable conditions if they are an active duty member;
• Maintain 50 percent or greater veteran ownership of their business or operation and 50 percent or greater veteran management control.
Indiana FVC members interested in becoming Indiana Grown/HBH certified must already be HBH certified with Farmer Veteran Coalition. For more information on Indiana Grown and the Indiana Grown Homegrown By Heroes program, or to apply for membership, visit IndianaGrown.org.
