USDA Appoints California Producer to Mushroom Council
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsackhas appointed three producers to serve on the Mushroom Council, one of whom is Robert B. Murphy of Antelope, California, who will serve a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the Mushroom Council in accordance with the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990, and the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order.
The Council’s goals are to strengthen the mushroom industry’s position in the marketplace, maintain and expand existing markets and uses for mushrooms, and develop new markets and uses for mushrooms. In 1993, the Mushroom Council was established to carry out the direction of this act.
Today, the Mushroom Council, based in San Jose, California, plays a very important role in the national promotion of fresh mushrooms through consumer public relations, foodservice communications and retail communications. To promote fresh mushrooms to consumers, the Council works with professional chefs in developing and promoting new recipes, works with produce department managers to maintain the highest quality mushroom product for customers and sends out thousands of brochures each year to consumers hungry for new mushroom ideas.
Thanks to the Mushroom Council, September is National Mushroom Month for mushrooms to be honored and eaten.
The Mushroom Council will fund City of Hope again this year with 2013 Pink Promotion Sales Kit Materials. There is no fee to participate and it’s easy to implement with your retailers. Participation benefits include taking pride in supporting the worthy cause of National Breast Cancer Month, supporting City of Hope’s invaluable research on mushrooms and cancer and increased sales of mushrooms.
Sources: USDA, Mushroom Council
