Homegrown by Heroes Program Supports Veterans and Active-Duty Farmers
In partnership with: Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Many U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members are drawn to farming, especially in Kentucky. About 14 percent of the state’s 69,100 farmers have served in the U.S. armed forces compared with about 9 percent of farmers nationwide.
Recognizing the importance of supporting Kentucky’s farming veterans, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud brand partnered with the national nonprofit Farmer Veteran Coalition in January 2013 to launch Homegrown by Heroes.
The program, with its distinctive red, white, and blue logo, allowed consumers to easily identify products grown by Kentucky military veterans. Kentucky’s leadership in this initiative quickly attracted national attention.
“On Veterans Day in 2013, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture turned the program over to the Farmer Veteran Coalition to administer the program nationally, allowing other states and Puerto Rico to take part,” said Sharon Spencer, Kentucky Department of Agriculture Direct Farm Marketing Director.
As brand recognition continued to grow in the state, Kentucky Proud’s Homegrown by Heroes expanded to include active-duty military, reservists, and National Guard members in 2017. A 2018 ceremony on Capitol Hill celebrated an updated Homegrown by Heroes logo with refreshed colors and a new image, including a female service member.
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Homegrown by Heroes
Today, there are more than 1,800 Homegrown by Heroes farmers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including 272 active members in Kentucky. One of those Kentucky Proud participants is U.S. Navy veteran Tim Gorman.
Two years ago, Gorman moved from Ohio with his wife, Alexandrea, and young daughter to a former 28-acre tobacco farm in Lawrenceburg dreaming of a life in agriculture. After six years as a Navy submarine missile tech, diver, and leading petty officer followed by post-military experience in manufacturing, Gorman is now fully invested in rejuvenating his once-neglected farmland and getting his family’s meat-sheep venture, Baad Land Farms, off the ground.
In addition to giving his products a potential edge in a competitive market, his Homegrown by Heroes membership helps differentiate his farm business from others when pursuing grant funding and other opportunities.
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“We really want to utilize 100 percent of the resources that are available to us, like this one, to give this a good shot,” he said.
The hope is Homegrown by Heroes continues to bring national awareness to military farmers, ensuring the country supports them just as they supported the country.
“Homegrown by Heroes provides consumers with an opportunity to show their support for our active military and veteran farmers,” Spencer said. “Our veterans have served their country twice, first by defending it and now by feeding it. And Kentucky will continue to play an active role in their success.”