Joan.Shaffer (202) 720-8998

Billy Cox (202) 720-8998

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2006 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of four new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to serve terms beginning Jan. 24, 2007, and ending Jan. 24, 2012.

The new appointees -- Tracy Miedema, Consumer/Public Interest member; Tina Ellor, Environmentalist member; Steve DeMuri, Handler member; and Katrina Heinze, Scientist member -- bring to the NOSB a broad spectrum of scientific, environmental, and food quality control expertise from the U.S. organic handling and consuming sectors.

Miedema is national sales and marketing manager of Stahlbush Farms in Oregon, has served as an adjunct professor in consumer behavior at Western Washington University, and created an organic learning center for retailers and stakeholders within Small Planet Foods. Ellor is the technical director of Phillips Mushroom Farms and has been active in small farm and rural development in Pennsylvania. DeMuri, senior manager for commercialization and improvement for Campbell Soup Company in California, is the technical expert and manager of their organic production. Heinze has a doctorate degree in chemistry and is the manager of global regulatory affairs for General Mills, responsible for food safety and regulatory matters.

The NOSB has 15 members representing all sectors and interests of organic producing, handling, and consuming (4 producers, 2 handlers, 1 retailer, 3 environmentalists, 3 consumers, 1 scientist, and 1 certifying agent).

To ensure a broad representation of interests on the Board, the National Organic Program (NOP) conducted an aggressive nomination search, contacting more than 11,000 certified organic producers and handlers. NOP also solicited nominees from the State 1862 Land-Grant Colleges and Universities; State 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Institutions and Tuskegee University; National Directory of Farmers’ Market and Direct Marketing Associations; California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets; North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association; Farmer’s Market Online; National Association of Farmers Markets; Southland Farmers’ Market Association; Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association; Washington State Farmers Market Association; Anacortes Farmers Market; Bainbridge Island Farmers’ Market; Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association; Native Seeds/SEARCH; Sustainable Agriculture Network List Serv (SANET); Organic Trade Association; The Food Trust; The Union of Concerned Scientists; and the USDA Farm Service Agency Outreach Programs that includes: the African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Hispanic American, and American Agri-Women Affiliates; Women Watch Group; Women in Agriculture; Women’s Agricultural Network; Women’s Food and Agricultural Network; Rural Women’s Network, and the Women Food and Agriculture Network.

The NOSB is authorized by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and makes recommendations regarding the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for organic operations. The NOSB also may provide advice on other aspects of the organic program. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service oversees the NOSB.