Notice2026-05096
Tart Cherries Grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin; Continuance Referendum
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible tart cherry growers and processors to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of tart cherries grown in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 12550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05096]
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 50 / Monday, March 16, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 12550]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-26-0067]
Tart Cherries Grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon,
Utah, Washington and Wisconsin; Continuance Referendum
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Referendum order.
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SUMMARY: This document directs that a referendum be conducted among
eligible tart cherry growers and processors to determine whether they
favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of
tart cherries grown in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
DATES: The referendum will be conducted from March 30 through April 20,
2026. Only current tart cherry growers and processors who have grown or
processed cherries within the production area during the period of July
1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, are eligible to vote in this
referendum.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the marketing order may be obtained from the
office of the referendum agents at 1124 First Street South, Winter
Haven, FL 33880; telephone: (863) 324-3375; or from the Docket Clerk,
Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; telephone
(202) 720-8085; or on the internet: <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-930">https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-930</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven W. Kauffman, Marketing
Specialist, or Christian D. Nissen, Branch Chief, Southeast Region
Branch, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS,
USDA, 1124 First Street South, Winter Haven, FL 33880; telephone: (863)
324-3375, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adfed9c8dbc8c383e6ccd8cbcbc0ccc3edd8dec9cc83cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d98aadbcafbcb7f792b8acbfbfb4b8b799acaabdb8f7beb6af">[email protected]</span></a> or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#56153e243f25223f373878183f25253338162325323778313920"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5c1f342e352f28353d327212352f2f39321c292f383d723b332a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Marketing Order No. 930, as
amended (7 CFR part 930; the Order), and the applicable provisions of
the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C.
601-674) (the Act), it is hereby directed that a referendum be
conducted to ascertain whether continuance of the Order is favored by
tart cherry growers and processors in the states of Michigan, New York,
Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, Sec. 930.83(d).
The referendum will be conducted from March 30 through April 20, 2026,
among tart cherry growers and processors in the production area. Only
current tart cherry growers and processors that were engaged in the
production or processing of tart cherries during the period of July 1,
2024, through June 30, 2025, may participate in the continuance
referendum.
USDA has determined that continuance referenda are an effective
means for determining whether growers favor the continuation of
marketing order programs. USDA will consider termination of the Order
if less than 50 percent of the growers and processors voting in the
referendum, and less than 50 percent of the tart cherry volume
represented in the referendum, vote in favor of continuance. In
evaluating the merits of continuance versus termination, USDA will not
exclusively consider the results of the continuance referendum. USDA
will also consider all other relevant information concerning the
operation of the Order and relative benefits and costs to growers,
processors, and consumers to determine whether continued operation of
the Order would tend to effectuate the declared policy of the Act.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
chapter 35), the ballot materials used in the referendum have been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and have been
assigned OMB No. 0581-0177, Tart Cherries Grown in the States of
Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and
Wisconsin. It has been estimated it will take an average of 20 minutes
for each of the approximately 330 tart cherry growers and 30 processors
to cast a ballot. Participation is voluntary. Ballots postmarked after
April 20, 2026, will not be included in the vote tabulation.
Steven Kauffman, Delaney Fuhrmeister, Rebecca Geller, Jennie
Varela, and Christian Nissen of the Southeast Region Branch, Specialty
Crops Program, AMS, USDA, are hereby designated as the referendum
agents of the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct this referendum. The
procedure applicable to the referendum shall be the ``Procedure for the
Conduct of Referenda in Connection with Marketing Orders for Fruits,
Vegetables, and Nuts Pursuant to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement
Act of 1937, as Amended'' (7 CFR part 900.400 et seq.).
Ballots and voting instructions will be sent by U.S. mail, or
through electronic mail, to all tart cherry growers and processors of
record and may also be obtained from the referendum agents or their
appointees.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.
Erin Morris,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-05096 Filed 3-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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