USDA looking for National Mango and National Softwood Lumber boards nominees

Jan 13, 2015

Both boards looking to fill six seats

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking for nominations to fill empty seats within the National Mango and National Softwood Lumber boards.

The 19-member softwood lumber board is looking to fill six seats to replace current members when their terms expire on December 31, 2015.

Domestic manufacturers represent four seats: two small companies from the South region, and two large companies from the West region. The two other seats will be filled by softwood lumber importers representing a large company in the Canada West region and one from the Canada East region. For the purposes of the softwood lumber board, “large companies” means they account for the top two-thirds of accessible softwood lumber annually and small companies account for the rest.

Each member must serve a three-year term.

To be eligible, nominees operating within the regions must manufacture and ship within the United States, or import, at least 15 million board feet of softwood lumber annually. Ballots will be mailed to eligible companies and votes will be tabulated for each region. The top two candidates for each position will be submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary will then appoint members from the pool of candidates receiving the most votes. Nominations must be in by March 6, 2015.

The National Mango board is seeking to fill six of its 18 seats.

Currently, the board is looking to fill six seats including two importers who will represent District 1, which includes the U.S. Customs and Border Protection port entries of Portland, ME; St. Albans, Vt.; Boston, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; Ogdensburg, N.Y.; Buffalo, N.Y.; New York City, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Baltimore, Md.; Norfolk, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Tampa, Fla.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; U.S. Virgin Islands; Miami, Fla. and Washington, D.C. The National Mango Board is also looking to fill a domestic producer, two foreign producer seats, and a first handler seat.

Applications for the Mango board is due April 10, 2015 and members must serve a three-year term.

Video: Early Fall Colors | Scenic Ontario Road Trip!

All adventures must come to an end, but not without one more journey! Join The Wandering Shepherds as we say farewell to our cozy Calabogie cottage and take the scenic road trip home to Ewetopia Farms. Our first stop was a breathtaking hydroelectric generating station, framed by cliffs, rushing water, and brilliant fall leaves that seemed to have changed overnight. From there, we meandered along winding backroads through lakes and hills, soaking in the spectacular autumn scenery. This year, the colors seemed to arrive earlier than usual—perhaps due to the summer’s drought? Whatever the reason, it was an unforgettable display of Ontario’s fall beauty. Finally, our holiday drew to a close as we pulled back into Ewetopia Farms, ready to return to the sheep and our daily vlogs. But this trip reminded us how important it is to pause, explore, and appreciate the simple beauty around us.