New York Department of Agriculture Launches New Marketing Campaig...

Harvested with Heart Campaign Highlights Local Farmers Participating in the Program and Encourages Consumers to Look for the NYS Grown & Certified Seal

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced the Department's New York State Grown & Certified program has launched a new marketing campaign, "Harvested with Heart," which is being seen by consumers across the State. The $1 million campaign is highlighting the stories of local farmers, the crops they produce, and the importance of local agriculture. Funded through a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant, the campaign was created to encourage a connection between producers and consumers, inspire consumers to look for the NYS Grown & Certified seal, and drive consumers to farms and retailers who offer NYS Grown & Certified products.

Launched in 2016, the New York State Grown & Certified program assures consumers that the food they are buying is from New York and produced to a higher standard by requiring participating producers to adopt food safety standards and enroll in an environmental management program. Since the program began, the New York State Grown & Certified program has expanded to cover 20 agricultural commodities and processing industries, such as fruits, vegetable, maple, honey, and dairy.

Commissioner Ball said, "Forming connections and trust between farmers and consumers is a pillar of the Grown & Certified program, and I am excited to launch this new campaign to highlight the excellence of our participating growers and encourage consumers to look for the program's seal, which tells them three things: one, that they're buying local products; two, that the farm has been certified for the safe handling of the food they're growing; and three, that they care about the environment. Sharing farmers' stories of how they produce the high-quality products New Yorkers enjoy is important and I encourage everyone to support local farmers by buying Grown & Certified products that continue to be 'Harvested with Heart.'"

The advertising campaign consists of a targeted digital campaign across Meta, here and here, programmatic banner ads, and streaming video across platforms like Roku TV, Pluto TV, Peacock, and Disney+. Next summer, the campaign will expand to include billboard advertisements in strategic metro areas.

The campaign launched this summer with video shoots at Reeves Farm in Central New York and Eden Valley Growers in Western New York. The team recently went to Blue Star Farm and Beth's Farm Kitchen in the Capital Region and the Union Square Green Market in New York City to showcase peak harvest periods and what it means for a farmer to be New York State Grown & Certified.

Find the Reeves Farm Video here. Find the Eden Valley Growers video here.

The campaign, which runs through September 2025, began with consumer research finding that 50 percent of respondents would pay more for New York State Grown & Certified products and that nearly two-thirds of shoppers would travel further to buy it.

The NYS Grown & Certified website provides consumers with an easy way to find Grown & Certified products and highlights the impact of these products on the state's agricultural economy as well as the health and well-being of New Yorkers. Visit certified.ny.gov to learn more.