Gwen Sparks, (202) 260-8210 gwen.sparks@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed nine members and their alternates to serve on the national U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Each representative will serve a three-year term of office beginning Jan.1, 2014.
Members appointed include producers Doug Perkins of Fresno, Calif., John V. Bennett of Alma, Ga., Robert Carini of West Olive, Mich., Tim Wetherbee of Hammonton, N.J., Steven M. Erickson of Salem, Ore., and Bryan Sakuma of Bow, Wash. Other member appointees include importers Brian Bocock of South Haven, Mich. and Parm S. Bains of British Columbia, Canada; and handler Guy Cotton of Morada, Calif.
Alternates include producers Leland “Buck” Klein of Bakersfield, Calif., Adair Chambers Peterson of Homerville, Ga., George Fritz, Jr., of Bloomingdale, Mich., Dennis G. Doyle of New Lisbon, N.J., Douglas A. Krahmer of St. Paul, Ore., and Rob Dhaliwal of Lynden, Wash. Importers Janice L. Honigberg, Chicago, Ill. and Raymon S. Biln of British Columbia, Canada; and handler Brian Caster, of Salinas, Calif., have also been selected as alternates.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower agricultural industries by establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders. Visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion to learn more about research and promotion programs.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at 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).