Dec 20, 2013

Members appointed to blueberry council

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed nine members and their alternates to serve on the national U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Each representative will serve a three-year term of office beginning Jan.1.

Members appointed include producers Doug Perkins of Fresno, Calif., John V. Bennett of Alma, Ga., Robert Carini of West Olive, Mich., Tim Wetherbee of Hammonton, N.J., Steven M. Erickson of Salem, Ore., and Bryan Sakuma of Bow, Wash. Other member appointees include importers Brian Bocock of South Haven, Mich., and Parm S. Bains of British Columbia, Canada; and handler Guy Cotton of Morada, Calif.

Alternates include producers Leland “Buck” Klein of Bakersfield, Calif., Adair Chambers Peterson of Homerville, Ga., George Fritz Jr. of Bloomingdale, Mich., Dennis G. Doyle of New Lisbon, N.J., Douglas A. Krahmer of St. Paul, Ore., and Rob Dhaliwal of Lynden, Wash. Importers Janice L. Honigberg, Chicago, Raymon S. Biln of British Columbia, Canada, and handler Brian Caster of Salinas, Calif., have also been selected as alternates.

Research and promotion programs are industry funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. They empower agricultural industries by establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

Click here to learn more about research and promotion programs.