2009 PRESS RELEASES

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October 6, 2009
TWENTY YEARS AGO, THE WORLD WAS A DIFFERENT PLACE
By Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

For the past several weeks, we have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Virginia’s Finest Trademark Program, so I have spent a little time flashing back to 1989. What a different world it was then. Computer usage was common but not pervasive, a few people had car phones or those cumbersome bag phones but that was about it for mobile devices, the switch from long play record albums to compact discs was almost complete and many of us had just bought our first VCR. About the only people who had electronic mail back then were federal employees, and instead of voice mail, we had stand-alone answering machines. The concept of leaving messages and getting back to people later was comfortable for us because we knew nothing else.

At that time in history, the Buy Local movement, which hadn’t been named yet, was concentrated mainly with a few counter-culture types who started growing their own food and selling it via co-ops. I was still in college, so my food supply was limited to what I got in the school cafeteria and the occasional burger. Having grown up on a farm, I probably had a higher consciousness of where my food came from than many students, but it wasn’t something I thought about much.

Here at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), however, that concept was about to change. The Marketing Director at the time, Robert Gomperts, decided that we needed to identify products that were grown, raised, produced or processed here in Virginia. That wasn’t a terribly earth-shaking idea; other states were identifying their local products, too. But his idea, which was supported by then-Commissioner Mason Carbaugh, was revolutionary in one regard: not only would we identify agricultural products from Virginia, we would do so with a quality-based program where producers had to apply for the right to earn the state’s trademark.  In addition, their products had to undergo evaluation by a committee to determine if they qualified as Virginia’s Finest, the best of the best from Virginia.

I’m not saying that the Virginia’s Finest program was the beginning of the Buy Local movement that has been gaining in popularity over the past few years.  But I am saying that in 1989, VDACS was ahead of its time in recognizing the importance of promoting local products. Today other states have borrowed the idea of a quality-based trademark, but as far as we know, Virginia was the first to do so.

Today the Virginia’s Finest program embraces more than 80 product categories and 1,000 individual food, beverage and agricultural products. While they all are agricultural products, they aren’t all edible. In addition to fruits, vegetables, peanuts, seafood, wine, dairy products and other edibles, there are Virginia’s Finest Christmas trees, bedding plants, cut flowers, pumpkins and more.

Producers tell me the Virginia’s Finest trademark is extremely valuable to them as a marketing tool, and consumers confirm that the trademark symbol carries weight when making their purchasing decisions. They realize that Virginia’s Finest products are of the highest possible quality.  As one person put it, “When I buy Virginia’s Finest, I’m not only buying local products, I’m also buying the best.”

One of the highlights of this twentieth anniversary year for the Virginia’s Finest program will be the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo, scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.  This popular culinary trade event takes place every other year and showcases a wide variety of food and beverage products from across the Commonwealth.  The theme of this year’s Expo is “Tradition of Taste,” which emphasizes the quality of products and the rich culinary heritage found in Virginia.  More than 100 exhibitors will promote favorites such as Virginia hams and peanuts as well as innovative products and creative fare that includes snacks, soups, sauces, wine, meats, candies, desserts, drinks, condiments, cheeses and more. The Virginia Food and Beverage Expo is open to commercial buyers from specialty food retailers to major grocery chains.  Additional information about the Expo can be found online at www.vaexpo.com.