There will be a referendum held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Dec. 6–31, 2021, for California walnut growers to decide whether to continue their federal marketing order.
The candidates eligible to vote must have produced walnuts in California between the beginning of September 2020 and the end of August 2021. On Oct. 13, 2021, the Federal Register published a notice of the referendum.
The USDA may continue the marketing order if two-thirds of producers voting in the referendum, or at least two-thirds of California walnut producers, support it.
The marketing order permits research and marketing promotions, quality regulations, and volume control for the California walnut industry and California Walnut Board. The order is overseen by USDA. Moreover, the program requires a continuance referendum every six years to determine whether producers support it.
All producers of record will receive ballots and voting instructions from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). If producers do not receive a ballot by Dec. 20, they should contact Joshua Wilde at (503) 326-2037 or Joshua.R.Wilde@usda.gov. Alternatively, ballot requests can be faxed to (503) 326-7440 or mailed to USDA, AMS, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 305, Portland, OR 97204.
On AMS’s 984 California walnuts webpage you can learn more about the marketing order governing walnuts grown in California.
