Release No. 011-15

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202) 690-0488

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2015 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Mushroom Council.

The Mushroom Council includes eight U.S. producers and an importer. The producer members represent three production territories: Region 1, which represents all states except Pennsylvania and California, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico; Region 2, which represents Pennsylvania; and Region 3, which represents California. (Region 4 represents all mushroom importers).

The Council will fill three seats – two positions in Region 2 and one position in Region 3 – to replace representatives whose terms expire at the end of this year. Prospective nominees must submit applications by May 1, 2015. Each selected member will serve a 3-year term.

The Mushroom Council meets periodically to plan and review marketing and research activities that benefit the industry. The national program, which became effective in 1993, supports the marketing and promotion of fresh mushrooms.

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, were authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 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 USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

For more information or an application, please contact Bart Minor, Mushroom Council President and CEO, or Cheryl Abbate, Operations Manager, by phone at (408) 432-7210 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. You may also contact Jeanette Palmer, AMS Fruit and Vegetable 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 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).