Jul 7, 2015

BREAKING: Federal Cranberry Marketing Order will continue

The USDA Cranberry Marketing Order, also known as the Cranberry Marketing Committee, USA (CMC), has received confirmation that cranberry producers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Long Island, New York, have approved the continuance of its federal marketing order program.

USDA informed the Cranberry Marketing Order that 76 percent of all the producers voting — representing 84 percent of the volume of production by those voting — favored continuance. Approximately 470 eligible producers cast ballots in the referendum.

The Cranberry Marketing Order requires that a continuance referendum be held every four years in May. USDA will not consider termination of the order if continuance is favored by more that 50 percent of the growers who vote in the referendum, provided they represent more than 50 percent of the volume of cranberries represented in the referendum.

CMC will continue its work under new leadership, with the appointment of Michelle Hogan as executive director. Hogan has been assistant executive director for the majority of her 15 years with CMC. Prior to her employment with CMC, Hogan spent 11 years working for the Cranberry Institute and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. She also managed the Frost Advisory Service for cranberry growers in Massachusetts.

Hogan will be the primary contact for the organization and is responsible for working directly with USDA, the CMC board of directors and cranberry industry leaders. She will also provide management and oversight for all of CMC’s international, domestic and trade policy programs.

For more information, visit CMC’s website.