The Mushroom Council helped get September declared National Mushroom Month; its origins can be traced to the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, pictured here.

The Mushroom Council is a U.S. organization of fresh mushroom producers created and funded through a commodity checkoff program.

Purpose

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]

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.[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]

National Mushroom Month

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]

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.[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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About the Mushroom Council", Mushroom Council, official site, accessed November 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Mushroom Research and Promotion Plan Archived 2014-09-03 at the Wayback Machine", Research and Promotion Programs - Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed November 19, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 DiMartino, Christina. "National Mushroom Month kicks off with media outreach", The Produce News, August 13, 2012, accessed November 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ DiMartino, Christina. "Mushroom Council celebrates Mushroom Month, blendability success", The Produce News, October 7, 2014, accessed November 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ Jimenez, Sonia. "Celebrating all things mushroom during National Mushroom Month", USDA Blog, September 20, 2012, accessed November 19, 2014.
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