The Mushroom Council is a U.S. organization of fresh mushroom producers created and funded through a commodity checkoff program.
The Mushroom Council is a U.S. organization of fresh mushroom producers created and funded through a commodity checkoff program.
The Mushroom Council funds mushroom research and promotion programs through a levy on mushroom producers and importers. [1] [2] The council uses the funds for programs such as public relations and advertising as well as communications through retail outlets and restaurants. [1] The council's activities support its goals which include getting people to buy and use mushrooms as often as they do vegetables. [3]
The Mushroom Council was created as part of the Mushroom Promotion, Research & Consumer Information Act of 1990 which was signed into law on November 28, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush. [2] [4] The Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order, part of the act that created the Mushroom Council, did not actually take effect until January 8, 1993. [2] The delay in implementation was due to a comment period and a referendum among growers and importers to authorize the checkoff program. [2] Another referendum on whether or not to continue the program was held in 1998. About 70 percent of producers and importers cast a ballot in the referendum and continuing the mushroom checkoff program was approved by 80 percent. [2]
The Mushroom Council played a role in getting the month of September declared National Mushroom Month. [1] [5] The origins of National Mushroom Month can be traced to the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, during the second week of September. [3] Beginning in 1992 official proclamations from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the Governor of Pennsylvania declared September as National Mushroom Month. [3] The Mushroom Council supports National Mushroom Month through public and media outreach including social media and a website highlighting mushroom uses. [3]
The council is funded through an assessment on all mushroom producers and importers who average over 500,000 pounds of the crop per year. [2] Mushroom producers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are assessed a $.005 per pound fee, those producing or importing less than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms are exempted from the fee. [2] For calendar year 2014 the council's budget was $4.2 million. [2]
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture; it maintains programs in five commodity areas: cotton and tobacco; dairy; fruit and vegetable; livestock and seed; and poultry. These programs provide testing, standardization, grading and market news services for those commodities, and oversee marketing agreements and orders, administer research and promotion programs, and purchase commodities for federal food programs. The AMS enforces certain federal laws such as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and the Federal Seed Act. The AMS budget is $1.2 billion. It is headquartered in the Jamie L. Whitten Building in Washington, D.C.
In the United States, a commodity checkoff program collects funds through a checkoff mechanism, sometimes called checkoff dollars, from producers of a particular agricultural commodity and uses these funds to promote and do research on that particular commodity. The organizations must promote their commodity in a generic way, without reference to a particular producer. Checkoff programs attempt to improve the market position of the covered commodity by expanding markets, increasing demand, and developing new uses and markets. Checkoff programs amount to $750 million per year.
Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased, or provided. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system balanced with ensuring human health needs. This often includes decision-making around production and processing techniques, marketing, availability, utilization, and consumption of food, in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policy can be promulgated on any level, from local to global, and by a government agency, business, or organization. Food policymakers engage in activities such as regulation of food-related industries, establishing eligibility standards for food assistance programs for the poor, ensuring safety of the food supply, food labeling, and even the qualifications of a product to be considered organic.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is an American trade association and lobbying group working for American beef producers.
Title 7 of the United States Code outlines the role of agriculture in the United States Code.
The National Pork Board is a program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service whose purpose is to provide consumer information, perform industry-related research, and promote pork as a food product. The board's activities are funded by a mandatory commodity checkoff program, which requires hog producers to pay a small percentage-based fee each time an animal is sold.
"Pork. The Other White Meat." was an advertising slogan developed by advertising agency Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt in 1987 for the National Pork Board. The campaign was paid for using a checkoff fee (tax) collected from the initial sale of all pigs and pork products, including imports. Medical researchers and the United States Department of Agriculture classify it as red meat.
The Dairy Promotion Program or National Dairy Checkoff is a US commodity checkoff program for dairy product promotion, research, and nutrition education as part of a comprehensive strategy to increase human consumption of milk and dairy products and to reduce dairy surpluses.
The Sheep Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1994 enabled domestic sheep producers and feeders and importers of sheep and sheep products to develop, finance, and carry out a nationally coordinated program for sheep and sheep product promotion, research, and information. The program is funded as a commodity checkoff program.
The Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990 the designation given to Subtitle H of Title XIX of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Subtitle H authorized the establishment of a national fluid milk processor promotion program, or commodity checkoff program for fluid milk promotion. The program is funded through a 20¢/cwt. assessment on all milk processed for fluid consumption.
The American Egg Board (AEB) is a United States checkoff marketing organization, which focuses on marketing and promotion of eggs for human consumption. The AEB is best known for its long-running slogan, "The Incredible, Edible Egg", and the Just Mayo scandal.
The United Soybean Board (USB), is the governing body that instantiates the U.S. commodity checkoff program for soybeans. It is made up of 73 volunteer farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. The soybean checkoff is a congressionally-mandated assessment on soybeans, whose proceeds are used to fund soybean research and promotion efforts. The checkoff is managed by the United Soybean Board under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. In 2014, the checkoff was $109.1 million.
Dairy Management Inc. is an American trade association funded primarily by the U.S. Dairy Promotion Program, itself funded by government-mandated checkoff fees on dairy products and federal tax dollars and dedicated to promoting the sale of American-made dairy products. It also operates under the names Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, American Dairy Association, National Dairy Council and U.S. Dairy Export Council.
The Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order is a provision of the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill that established a U.S. Department of Agriculture commodity checkoff program for cultivated Christmas trees. The program is funded through a $.15 per tree fee paid by growers. The program creates a marketing program similar to other checkoff programs such as "Got Milk?" or "Beef. It's What's For Dinner". The order was briefly implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service in November 2011. After a wave of political criticism the rule that established the program was officially stayed before being passed into law over two years later.
The National Pork Producers Council is a trade association representing U.S. pork producers and other industry stakeholders. It conducts public policy outreach on behalf of its affiliated state associations from its headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.
The National Cotton Council of America is a trade organization for cotton production in the United States.
The National Processed Raspberry Council is a U.S. organization that promotes and researches processed raspberries. It is part of a commodity checkoff program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Christmas Tree Promotion Board is a U.S. organization established by federal law through a commodity checkoff program. The board was created when the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order was signed into law as part of the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill.
The Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB), a commodity checkoff program overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is self-funded through quarterly assessments paid by eligible manufacturers and importers of paper and paper-based packaging. P+PB oversees the work of the Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds campaign designed to increase demand for paper and paper-based packaging.
Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association, 544 U.S. 550 (2005), is a First Amendment case of the Supreme Court of the United States. At issue was whether a beef producer could be compelled to contribute to beef industry advertising.
