The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee, as the entire Committee must undergo nomination and election every four years. Committee positions open for nomination include four producer member seats, four handler member seats, one producer or handler member seat, one public member seat and 10 alternate member seats corresponding to each position. Selected members will serve a four-year term beginning January 1, 2025.
Eligible nominees for producer member positions must be producers of grapes for the fresh market or officers or employees of producers. Eligible nominees for handler member positions must be handlers or officers or employees of handlers. Not more than two members and not more than two alternate members shall be affiliated with the same handler entity. The public member and alternate will be nominated at the first meeting of the newly seated Committee.
A hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting will be held to conduct nominations and elections at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee office (39-205 Leopard St. Ste E, Palm Desert, Calif. 92211).
For nomination and meeting information, contact the Committee Manager Kristy Kneiding at (760) 342-4385 or at Admin@CaliforniaDesertGrapes.com. You may also contact Bianca Bertrand at (559) 356-8202 or at Biancam.Bertrand@usda.gov. More information about the Committee is available on the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) California Desert Grape Administrative Committee 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. 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.
