For Immediate Release                                                    Contact:

                                                                                           Mark Villata                           

                  U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

                  (916) 933-0570     

U.S. HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY COUNCIL SEEKS NOMINEES

 FOR REGIONAL MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES

April 7, 2003-- The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is now seeking nominees to fill regional council member and alternate positions on the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order.  Terms for current USHBC regional members and alternates will expire December 31, 2003.  The nomination period for the 2004 to 2006 term begins May 5, 2003.  Potential nominees are required to complete a USHBC nomination application and forward their application on to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council office by June 9, 2003.

Nomination applications are being mailed by the USHBC to blueberry growers throughout the United States.  Those who do not receive a nomination application by early May can obtain a copy by contacting the USHBC at (916) 933-0570 (phone), or (916) 933-0574 (fax).  Applications may also be downloaded from the USHBC website at www.ushbc.org.

Nominees are being sought for four regional grower member positions.  Eligible producer nominees are those who produced 2,000 pounds or more of cultivated blueberries in the United States during the period of January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002.

Once the nomination period is closed, a ballot will be prepared listing all regional nominees.  Ballots will be mailed by the USHBC to blueberry growers on August 11, 2003. The voting period will open for 35 days and close on September 15, 2003.

Those receiving the most votes for each regional representative seat will be recommended to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as council members.  Those who earn the second most votes for each position will be recommended as the alternate.  The names of those who receive the third and fourth most votes will be sent on to the Secretary for consideration as well.  Council members and alternates will serve for a term of three years starting January 1, 2004 and will be allowed to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

USHBC regional representatives concluding their first term of office are:

                                                                Member                                 Alternate

Western Region (Region 1)                  Dave Brazelton (Oregon)            Verne Gingerich (Oregon)

Midwest Region (Region 2)                  Ron Bodtke (Michigan)            John Nelson (Indiana)

Northeast Region (Region 3)            Art Galletta (New Jersey)            Paul Macrie (New Jersey)

Southern Region (Region 4)                  Rusty Bell (Georgia)                   Luis Monterde (Mississippi)

The USHBC has adopted a diversity outreach plan to attempt to achieve a diverse representation on the Council.  USHBC programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, or protected genetic information.  It is USHBC policy that membership on the Council and its committees reflect the diversity of individuals served by its programs.

To accomplish this objective, the USHBC will strive to attain representation of growers and other industry participants from diverse backgrounds on the Council and USHBC committees.  To this end, the USHBC strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to seek nominations to the USHBC and to participate in Council and USHBC committee activities.

 Producers and importers of cultivated blueberries approved the establishment of the national promotion program through a referendum conducted by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service from March 13 through April 14, 2000.  In this referendum, 67.8 percent of those who voted favored implementation of the order.  Those who voted in favor represented 73.2 percent of the volume of cultivated blueberries represented in the referendum. 

The program is funded by an assessment of $12 per ton on domestic cultivated blueberries and $12 per ton on fresh and processed imported cultivated blueberries.  Market promotion activities funded through the new program began in January of 2002. 

###