The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for positions on the Processed Pear Committee. The committee is seeking to fill seats for one grower member, two handler members, one processor member, and their alternates for two-year terms beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. Additionally, one grower member position is open for a partial term, beginning when the selection is approved and ending June 30, 2026.
Nominations for grower and handler members and their alternates will be made at nomination meetings held in each district. Nominations for processor members and their alternates will be made at the processor nomination meeting.
These meetings will be held as follows:
- District 1 – State of Washington - Dec. 9, at 1:15 p.m. PST, at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association annual horticulture meeting, Yakima Convention Center, 10 N. 8th St., Yakima, Washington.
- District 2 – State of Oregon - Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. PST, at the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers Association meeting, Friem Family Brewers, 707 Portway Ave. Ste. 101, Hood River, Oregon.
- Processor Member and Alternate Nominations - March 2025, at the Pacific Northwest Canned Pear Service meeting, Washington State Fruit Commission, 105 S. 18th St., Ste. 205, Yakima, Washington. For more information, including the date and time of the meeting, contact the Processed Pear Committee Manager.
Nominees for grower positions must be a grower, or an officer or employee of a corporate or LLC grower, who grows pears for processing in the district for which they are nominated. Nominees for handler positions must be a handler, or an officer or employee of a handler, who handles of pears for processing within the district for which they are nominated. Processor members must be a processor, or an officer or employee of a processor, who processes pears in the production area, and may be from either or both districts.
For more information, contact Processed Pear Committee Manager BJ Thurlby at (509)-453-4837 or bj@wastatefruit.com or USDA Marketing Specialist Joshua Wilde at (503) 326-2055 or joshua.r.wilde@usda.gov.
The marketing order authorizes quality regulations, research, promotion and advertising programs for pears grown in Oregon and Washington. The Processed Pear Committee administers the order locally and consists of three grower members, three handler members, three processor members, and one public member, each with an alternate. More information about the committee is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Oregon and Washington Pears webpage.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to fruit, vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.