2011 PRESS RELEASES
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March 2, 2011
Virginia Grown App Now Available
for Windows Phone 7
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) today announced the availability of a free Virginia Grown app for Windows Phone 7. Virginia Grown Mobile allows consumers to search for a wide variety of nutritious, fresh-from-the-farm products on their Windows 7 smart phones, find the products they want and then get directions to the nearest farmers’ market, pick-your-own farm or other venue to purchase them.
“The Virginia Grown mobile application is a first-of-its-kind,” said Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner. “We are not aware of any other state that offers a similar application to locate farm-fresh products on a consumer’s telephone.” The Virginia Grown app allows Virginia agricultural producers to communicate directly with end-users, allowing them to share their specific messages, product profiles and services with the public.
App users will be able to locate fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, eggs, nursery items, Christmas trees and specialty foods and beverages within seconds with just a few touches of the screen. The app will also include a mapping and direction function to help consumers get to a farm, roadside stand or farmers’ market. “With an increased interest in buying locally-produced products, the Virginia Grown mobile application will properly highlight Virginia agriculture in our mobile app-friendly world,” said Commissioner Lohr. “The Virginia Grown app is just one more way that farmers are able to connect with today’s modern tech-savvy consumer who has a taste for fresh, locally-grown foods.”
A major component of the Virginia Grown program has been the interactive Virginia Grown website. The site, launched in August 2009, provides a fast and user-friendly route to locally-grown and produced items. The creation of a Virginia Grown mobile application is a natural evolution to the website as more and more people rely on smart phones to conduct the everyday business of life.
Virginia Grown Mobile was developed by Virginia Interactive, a group that manages the portal and develops eGovernment solutions for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Microsoft selected the Virginia Grown app as a winner in its Government Apps Development Contest.
More information and screen shots of the new application are available here.