Release No.: 006-16
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for the Mushroom Council (Council). Applications for three open seats are due May 2, 2016. Selected representatives will serve three-year terms of office. The nine-member Council includes eight U.S. producers and an importer.
The Council producer members represent three production territories: Region 1, which covers the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all States except Pennsylvania which is Region 2; and California which is Region 3. An importer represents Region 4, which includes all mushroom importers.
The Council will fill three seats – one position each in Regions 1, 2, and 3 – to replace representatives whose terms expire Dec. 31, 2016.
The Mushroom Council meets periodically to plan and review marketing and research activities that benefit the industry. The national program has supported the marketing and promotion of fresh mushrooms since 1993.
USDA encourages council membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the program. All eligible women, minorities and persons with disabilities are invited to seek nomination for a seat on the Mushroom Council.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency, and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
For more information or an application, contact Bart Minor, Mushroom Council President and CEO, or Cheryl Abbate, Operations Manager, by phone at (650) 632-4250 or e-mail at Bart@mushroomcouncil.org or Cheryl@mushroomcouncil.org. This information is available on the Mushroom Council’s website at www.mushroomcouncil.org. Or, contact Jeanette Palmer, AMS Specialty Crops Program Marketing Specialist, by phone at (202) 720-9915 or by email at Jeanette.Palmer@ams.usda.gov.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).