2009 PRESS RELEASES
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August 26, 2009
STATE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE VIRGINIA GROWN WEB SITE
~ A fast, user-friendly route to locally-grown and produced items ~
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has launched a new interactive Web site that enables consumers to find Virginia Grown fruits, vegetables, nursery products and more in any area of the state with a couple of clicks of the mouse. The new site, www.virginiagrown.com, replaces a site that has been in use for years but was not interactive.
“This is great news for consumers who live in or travel through Virginia,” said Todd P. Haymore, VDACS Commissioner. “VirginiaGrown.com puts the entire spectrum of specialty products grown, raised, produced or processed in Virginia at consumers’ fingertips. It also includes a mapping and direction function to help consumers get from their door to the farm, roadside stand or farmers market. It’s our first consumer product Web site to be fully interactive, and it serves farmers and consumers alike.”
The benefits for consumers are obvious: it’s a fast and easy way to locate Virginia products at a variety of outlets. But it also benefits farmers by allowing them to post their products and services on a site that is used extensively by residents and visitors alike to find places where they can buy Virginia Grown farm products. Farmers may now update their listings seasonally with a new online form.
The new site was funded by a federal Specialty Crop Block Grant and promotes specialty crops as well as other farm products. The federal program is designed to boost production and sales of specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables. VDACS will incorporate other farm products into the site in the future.
“Many people are surprised at the extensive product listings,” said Commissioner Haymore, “but diversity is the hallmark of Virginia agriculture. We have a tremendous array of agricultural products, and this new site showcases them in a way we’ve not done before. With an increased consumer interest in buying locally-grown products, VirginiaGrown.com fits the needs of today’s busy shoppers at the same time it supports Virginia’s largest industry, agriculture.”
The interactive site is the result of a VDACS/Virginia Interactive partnership. Virginia Interactive also built the Virginia.gov Web site.