The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the Fresh Pear Committee to fill four grower member seats and two handler member seats to serve two-year terms that begin July 1, 2024. Nominations for grower and handler members and their alternates will be made at nomination meetings in each district.
Nominations will be accepted at the following meetings:
Wenatchee District:
• Handler nomination meeting:
• Dec. 14, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. PT.
• 2900 Euclid Ave., Wenatchee, Washington, 98801
• Grower nomination meeting:
• Jan. 16, 2024, at 12:15 p.m. PT
• 121 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, Washington, 98801
Mid-Columbia District:
• Handler nomination meeting
• Feb. 26, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT
• 1108 E. Marina Dr., Hood River, Oregon, 97031
• Grower nomination meeting:
• March 13, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. PT
• 2680 Old Columbia River Dr., Hood River, Oregon, 97031
Additional meetings may be announced in an upcoming notice.
Eligible nominees for grower and handler positions must be engaged in a proprietary capacity in the production of pears for the fresh market within the district for which selected. The Wenatchee District includes the counties of King, Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, and Spokane in Washington state, and all other counties in Washington lying north thereof. The Mid-Columbia District includes Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon, and the counties of Skamania and Klickitat in Washington state. The marketing order is also represented by the Yakima and Medford Districts.
For nomination information, contact Fresh Pear Committee Manager Kevin Moffitt at (503) 652-9720 or by email at kmoffitt@usapears.com or USDA Marketing Specialist Dale Novotny at (503) 326-2726 or by email at dalej.novotny@USDA.gov.
The marketing order authorizes quality regulations, research, promotion and advertising programs for pears produced for the fresh market in the states of Oregon and Washington, as defined by the marketing order. The Fresh Pear Committee administers the order locally and consists of six grower members and their alternates, six handler members and their alternates, and one public member and an alternate. More information about the Committee is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Oregon and Washington Pears webpage.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender