FRANKFORT, Ky. — What began as a state initiative to help identify agricultural value-added products grown or produced by veterans has become a national program – and continues to grow.

The state’s Homegrown By Heroes began nearly three years ago and is administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA). A logo designates to customers if a product has been grown by a veteran and the program also helps those producers open new markets in grocery stores and restaurants, according to information from the KDA.

"These partnerships benefit veterans, retailers and consumers alike," said Agriculture Commis-sioner James Comer. "Veteran producers get new outlets for their products. Retailers are able to offer the high-quality local foods their customers are looking for. Consumers can say ‘Thank you’ to our veterans by buying Homegrown By Heroes products where they shop or dine out."

Ed Ginter, who spent 21 years in the Air Force as a pilot, is one of the many vets involved in the program. He and his wife, Lora, run Bluegrass Aquaponics in Woodford County.

The couple raise fish and hydroponic vegetables, using the fish waste to fertilize the crop. The company provides lettuce and cucumbers to Common Grounds Coffee of Lexington, and will supply it tomatoes and green peppers in the near future.

Ginter said the partnership began with an email that came from KDA’s marketing office asking if someone could supply the Lexington establishment. "The email … opened the door," he said. "The partnership is the kind of thing we had hoped for when we signed up for Homegrown By Heroes."

Veterans like Ginter in many other states are working to have the same type of experience. KDA notes the program claims more than 275 members in 43 states, eight of which have adopted the Homegrown By Heroes brand and many more scheduled to follow suit in the near future.

It has been two years since the program went nationwide. The Farmer Veteran Coalition administers it at the national level.

Mark and Denise Beyers became the first certified Homegrown By Heroes producers outside of Kentucky. The couple are both Marine Corps veterans. He was severely injured in Iraq in 2005. That hasn’t kept him from farming. The Beyers have a maple syrup operation in upstate New York and use the Homegrown By Heroes label to help sell the syrup they produce on their farm, as well as eggs and vegetables they market during the summer.

Several national agriculture and food safety leaders support the program, including the USDA, Farm Credit Services of America and the American Farm Bureau Federation. Earlier this year, the Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF) became involved with a donation of $1,000 to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, to support the Homegrown By Heroes program.

That money went to farmer-veteran Alvina Maynard, a founding member of Homegrown By Heroes, and was used toward improvements at Maynard’s River Hill Ranch, an alpaca operation in Madison County, Ky. KDF purchased an estimated $48,000 of Kentucky Proud and Homegrown By Heroes products for this year’s festival.

"We appreciate the sacrifices our veterans made for our country, and we want them to have every opportunity to engage in a prosperous and rewarding agriculture career," Comer explained.

To learn more about Homegrown By Heroes, go to www.homegrownbyheroes.com