Pam Stanziani, (202) 260-8210 pamela.stanziani@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed 23 representatives to serve on the very first Processed Raspberry Council. Members and their alternates will fulfill staggered terms of two or three years on the council.
Six members and their alternates will represent states producing a minimum of three million pounds of raspberries for processing. Members include producers Brad L. Rader, John S. Clark, Rolf G. Haugen, Adam L. Enfield, and Ravinder S. Dhaliwal for the state of Washington, and Jerry E. Stratton for Oregon; and alternates Jonathan K. Maberry, Frank J. DeVries, Mark E. Van Mersbergen, Jon M. Cotton, and Erin N. Thoeny for the state of Washington, and Donald G. Sturm for Oregon.
Producer Hector E. Lujan and alternate Michael E. Christensen will represent states producing less than three million pounds of raspberries for processing.
Additional appointments include importer members Karen R. Holzberg, Eric A. Larson, and Jennifer M. Ryan, and alternates William F. Beadle, and Giulia Tanghetti; and foreign producer members Antonio Dominquez and Suzxhivinder S. Kahlon, and alternates Gonzalo Bachelet and Arvinder S. Neger.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will provide oversight of the Processed Raspberry Council in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996 and the Processed Raspberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order. The program is administered by council members selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and funded through industry member assessments. Research and promotion programs help expand, maintain and develop markets for individual commodities in the United States and abroad. They allow commodity groups to conduct promotion, market and production research, and new product development for the benefit of their industries. Visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion for more information about research and promotion programs. For information on the Processed Raspberry Council, please contact Kimberly Coy by phone: (888) 720-9917, or email: Kimberly.Coy@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).