Nov 8, 2021

Michigan carrot growers to vote on program changes

Michigan carrot growers are scheduled to vote on changes to the Michigan Carrot Industry Development Program.

The referendum, conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), will take place between Dec. 6 and Dec. 17, 2021.  

MDARD mailed ballots and instructions to each carrot grower at the end of November. Producers are eligible to vote if they produced and sold carrots for human consumption valued at more than $800 in any one of the last three years.

Growers are voting on whether to make changes to the program that include involving allied industries for committee membership, making all committee members at-large members, removing committee member term limits and grammatical updates.  

Michigan’s carrot industry has changed significantly since the program was approved by producers in 1996. The addition of up to two individuals involved in allied industries for committee membership creates a larger pool of committee candidates while keeping the research needs of carrot growers front and center. This is not a vote on continuing the program for another five years and does not change the assessment rate.

Michigan carrot growers first organized a fresh market development program in 1986 and approved the current Program in 1996. In the past 10 years, grower assessments have been used to leverage more than $800,000 in research important to carrot growers.  

Eligible producers with questions or those not receiving a ballot should contact MDARD toll-free at 800-292-3939.