USDA Seeks Nominees for the Cherry Industry Administrative Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the Cherry Industry Administrative Board to fill seats for six members and six alternates for three-year terms, beginning June 1, 2027.

Grower nominations are currently being accepted, and handler nominations will begin Nov. 18, 2026. The board will accept nominations for the following positions via email:

• District 1, Grower - Northern Michigan, one member and one alternate.
• District 1, Handler - Northern Michigan, one member and one alternate.
• District 2, Handler - Central Michigan, one member and one alternate.
• District 7, Handler - Utah, one member and one alternate.
• District 8, Handler - Washington, one member and one alternate.
• District 9, Grower - Wisconsin, one member and one alternate.

For nomination information, contact the Cherry Industry Administrative Board Vice President of Operations Heather Weber at (517) 669-1070 or [email protected] or contact USDA Marketing Specialist Steven Kauffman at (863) 324-3375 or [email protected].

To qualify, nominate and vote as a grower or handler member, nominees must be engaged in a proprietary capacity in the production or handling of tart cherries for market, respectively.

The board is comprised of nine districts, and membership is based on the production volume of each district, with a maximum of four members per district. During this term, the board will be comprised of 20 members, consisting of nine handler members, seven grower members, three at-large members and one public member. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Tart Cherries webpage.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help growers and handlers achieve marketing success by using 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.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.