AMS No. 185-13

Gwen Sparks, (202) 260-8210

gwen.sparks@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed seven representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. Six members will serve on the board through June 2016. A seventh member will fill a current vacancy through June 2015.

The Peanut Standards Board is made up of 18 members representing the Southeast Region, which covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida; the Southwest Region, covering Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico; and the Virginia-North Carolina Region. One third of the board is appointed each year.

Secretary Vilsack selected producer Larry Ford of Greenwood, Fla., and industry representative Ben Smith of Columbus, Ga., to represent the Southeast Region and producer Mark Boardman of Lamesa, Texas, and industry representative William M. Brown of Lexington, Ky., to represent the Southwest Region. Producer Paul W. Rogers, Jr. of Wakefield, Va., and industry representative Darlene M. Cowart of Suffolk, Va., will represent the Virginia-North Carolina Region. Shelly Nutt, Lubbock, Texas, was also selected to fill an industry representative vacancy, which ends June 30, 2015, for the Southwest Region.

The Peanut Standards Board is authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. USDA consults with the board to establish or change quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts.

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