The Mushroom Council is a U.S. organization of fresh

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producers created and funded through a

commodity checkoff program In the United States, a commodity checkoff program promotes and provides research and information for a particular agricultural commodity without reference to specific producers or brands. It collects funds through a checkoff mechanism that is ...

Purpose

The Mushroom Council funds mushroom research and promotion programs through a levy on mushroom producers and importers.About the Mushroom Council
, ''Mushroom Council'', official site, accessed November 19, 2014.Mushroom Research and Promotion Plan
", Research and Promotion Programs -

Agricultural Marketing Service 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 ...

, ''

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production ...

'', accessed November 19, 2014. The council uses the funds for programs such as public relations and advertising as well as communications through retail outlets and restaurants. The council's activities support its goals which include getting people to buy and use mushrooms as often as they do vegetables.

History

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 George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

.DiMartino, Christina.
Mushroom Council celebrates Mushroom Month, blendability success
, ''The Produce News'', October 7, 2014, accessed November 19, 2014. 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. The delay in implementation was due to a comment period and a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

among growers and importers to authorize the checkoff program. 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.

National Mushroom Month

The Mushroom Council played a role in getting the month of September declared National Mushroom Month.Jimenez, Sonia.
Celebrating all things mushroom during National Mushroom Month
, ''USDA Blog'', September 20, 2012, accessed November 19, 2014. The origins of National Mushroom Month can be traced to the

Mushroom Festival A mushroom festival is a food festival in which mushrooms are featured. There are numerous mushroom festivals held annually in: * Kennett Square, Pennsylvania * Telluride Mushroom Festival in Telluride, Colorado * Mushroom Festival at Mount ...

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Kennett Square is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Kennett Square had a population of 5,943. Kennett Square is located in the Delaware Valley and considered a suburb of both Philadelphia, t ...

, during the second week of September.DiMartino, Christina.
National Mushroom Month kicks off with media outreach
, ''The Produce News'', August 13, 2012, accessed November 19, 2014. Beginning in 1992 official proclamations from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the

Governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

declared September as National Mushroom Month. The Mushroom Council supports National Mushroom Month through public and media outreach including social media and a website highlighting mushroom uses.

Funding

The council is funded through an assessment on all mushroom producers and importers who average over 500,000 pounds of the crop per year. 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. For calendar year 2014 the council's budget was $4.2 million.

References

External links

*
Mushroom Promotion, Research & Consumer Information Act of 1990

Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order
{{Authority control Commodity checkoff programs Fungi in cultivation