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Homegrown by Heroes for Ohio Farmer Veterans — Promoted by the State, Certified by Someone Else

Ohio Proud is the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s marketing programme, created in 1993 for food and agriculture made and grown in Ohio. It partnered with Homegrown by Heroes on Veterans Day 2014, so a farmer veteran can carry both labels — but the Homegrown by Heroes certification is applied for at hgbh.org and administered by the Farmer Veteran Coalition, not by the State of Ohio.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

Ohio Proud is the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s marketing programme, created in 1993 for food and agriculture made and grown in Ohio. It partnered with Homegrown by Heroes on Veterans Day 2014, so a farmer veteran can carry both labels — but the Homegrown by Heroes certification is applied for at hgbh.org and administered by the Farmer Veteran Coalition, not by the State of Ohio.

What it's worth: A label on your products identifying you as a farmer veteran, alongside the Ohio Proud label

  • The Ohio Department of Agriculture states: "Created in 1993, Ohio Proud is the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s marketing program that identifies and promotes food and agriculture that are made in Ohio and grown in Ohio."
  • Ohio Proud states: "The Homegrown by Heroes program is a program that certifies agricultural products from veteran farmers, ranchers, and fisherman", and that it "includes those who have served or are still currently serving in any U.S. military branch."
  • Ohio Proud states that Veterans "are encouraged to apply by visiting www.hgbh.org or email HBH@farmvetco.org", and that Ohio Proud announced its partnership with Homegrown by Heroes on Veterans Day 2014.
  • The certification itself is administered by the Farmer Veteran Coalition. No Ohio Department of Agriculture certification of farmer veterans was found this session, and the Department’s own Ohio Proud page does not mention veterans or Homegrown by Heroes.
  • No Ohio Proud membership fee figure was read this session, and none is published here.
  • This record is published at low weight because the veteran-specific half of it is not a State of Ohio programme.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served, which is what this route is written around.
  • You are in Ohio, which is what the Ohio Proud half of this turns on.
  • Your home is in Ohio.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Treat these as two separate applications. Ohio Proud is the state marketing programme; Homegrown by Heroes is the farmer veteran label, and the state promotes it rather than issuing it.
  2. 2Apply for the Homegrown by Heroes label at hgbh.org, or by email to HBH@farmvetco.org — those are the routes Ohio Proud itself points at.
  3. 3Join Ohio Proud separately through the Department of Agriculture if your product is made, grown or processed in Ohio. The Department can be reached on 614-728-6206 or at ohioproud@agri.ohio.gov.
  4. 4Say you are a veteran when you join Ohio Proud. Ohio Proud states that partners are asked whether they are a veteran and are then encouraged to join Homegrown by Heroes as well.
  5. 5Ask the Farmer Veteran Coalition, not the state, about the certification terms — ownership share, service characterisation and renewal are set by the certifying body.
  6. 6Do not expect a grant. Both programmes are labels and marketing; neither is described as paying money.
Form
Homegrown by Heroes application at hgbh.org; separate Ohio Proud membership through the Department of Agriculture
File with
Farmer Veteran Coalition for the Homegrown by Heroes label; Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Proud, 8995 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 for Ohio Proud
Documents you will need
dd214
Confirm with the office
We have not verified the renewal behaviour.
CorrectionOhio does not certify farmer veterans. The Department of Agriculture promotes a national label through its Ohio Proud programme; the certifying body is the Farmer Veteran Coalition, and the application does not go to the state. Anyone expecting a state certificate, a state fee schedule or a state appeal route will not find one.
Known gapThe certification terms — ownership share, characterisation of service and renewal — sit with the certifying body and were not read from a state source this session, so none is published here.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.