News

Michigan Blueberry Checkoff vote coming to close

One week remains for Michigan blueberry growers to decide if they want a first-ever state blueberry checkoff.

Co-chair of the Michigan Blueberry Commission Shelly Hartmann tells Brownfield blueberry growers have spent the last 11 years building a foundation for a statewide assessment.  “We spent a lot of time on the ground, a lot of meetings, putting together the subcommittee, putting together the draft language for the program and just talking and reaching out to growers.”

The True Blue Farms owner says a committee made up of growers will decide how the state checkoff will spend the funds which will primarily be used for research.

The Michigan Blueberry Research and Education Program would assess growers up to three tenths of a cent per pound of blueberries sold.

Referendum ballots are due to the Michigan Department of Agriculture by January 20^th.

AUDIO: Interview with Shelly Hartmann