Understanding that the first priority of communication is "food," I worked in representations of fruit, veg, dairy, and grain/bread with simple tone on tone graphics. The interlocking blocks serve as a metaphor for collaboration (communication priority #2), while the jewel tone blue in the "Michigan" block sets it apart from the "SNAC" blocks and distinguishes that this is that state's branch of SNAC (your third priority of communication). I also subtly reference the periodic table of elements in the type and block treatment to talk about how agriculture is (and has long been) a critical element in the American economy. Thanks for your review of my idea.
We are concerned that the background in the boxes is too subtle. Meat, dairy, grains, fruits, veggies - would be the five food groups to highlight in the boxes.
Each of the five colors and pyramids represents one of the five food groups: fruit, vegetable, dairy, grain, and meat. The pyramids themselves are a metaphor for good nutrition. The interlocking or overlapping aspect of the mark speaks to the idea of collaboration. After looking at my first pass, and reviewing some of the other designs, I felt we may have missed an important point: the brand mark MUST convey a sense of maturity, trust, a source of authority, as well as communicate ideas of innovation and progress. Avoiding obvious clichés (such as the use of food in my first attempt) and keeping the design clean, contemporary, and more serious will work to the organization's advantage when securing grants or working with other government agencies. At the same time, softly rounded corners and a friendly typeface provide an approachability that engages rather than intimidates the public.
Another alternate lock-up. Includes a qualifying line that overtly associates each pyramid and its color to specific areas of focus in both nutrition science and agriculture.
It's important that the range of colors be simple enough to translate well into single color. This variation demonstrates that this mark can maintain depth and interest when only one color is used.