SC-30 (958) Producer Referendum Ballot (ID/E.OR Onions)

REPRODUCE LOCALLY. Include form number and date on all reproductions. OMB No. 0581-0178

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES

GOVERNING PRODUCER ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

I. VOTING PERIOD: ______________, 20___ through ______________, 20___

II. REPRESENTATIVE PERIOD: ______________, 20___ through ______________, 20___

III. PRODUCTION AREA: All counties south and southeast of the southern boundary of Idaho County in the State of Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon.

IV. PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE: Any person who is currently a fresh onion producer in the production area and produced such onions during the representative period ____________, 20___ through ____________, 20___, is entitled to cast one Ballot. Each separate business unit, partnership, LLC, family enterprise, corporation, association, estate, or firm is entitled to one vote.

“Producer” means any individual, partnership, LLC, corporation, association, institution, estate, or other business unit who:

• Owns and farms land resulting in ownership of the onions produced thereon;

• Rents and farms land resulting in ownership of all or a portion of the onions produced thereon; or

• Owns land from which, as rental for such land, ownership is obtained of a portion of the onions produced thereon. (A lien holder, cash landlord, or person having only a financial interest in the ONION crop is not eligible to vote.)

V. HOW TO VOTE:

1. Indicate your vote by placing an “X” in the appropriate box.

2. Certify your onion production by listing the volume in hundredweight that you produced, the number of acres in production, and the county or counties in which such onions were produced during the representative period ______________, 20___ through ______________, 20___. If you are renting on a share-crop basis, you should show only that part of the crop represented by your share.

3. List the names of packing houses that handled your onions, the hundredweight, and affiliation (co-op or independent).

4. Print or type your name, phone number, business name, and address.

5. Proxy voting is not authorized. If Ballot is cast by an officer or employee of a partnership, LLC, corporation, association or other business unit, check box to indicate your business designation, and sign to indicate authority to vote. If partnership or joint venture, list names of partners.

6. Sign below the certification. Incomplete or unsigned Ballots cannot be counted. Fold your Ballot so the Referendum Agent’s address is displayed, seal with tape and mail to Referendum Agent, USDA-AMS-SCP-NWMFO, 1220 SW 3^rd AVENUE, ROOM 308, PORTLAND, OR 97204. For further information, please call (503) 326-2724.

Ballots must be postmarked by ________________________ to be valid.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0178. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

IDAHO-E. OREGON ONION BALLOT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

Specialty Crops Program

Northwest Marketing Field Office

1220 SW 3^rd Avenue, Room 308

Portland, OR 97204

__________

TO IDAHO-E. OREGON ONION PRODUCERS:

Marketing Order No. 958, regulating the handling of onions grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a referendum every six-years to ascertain whether producers favor continuance. As a consequence, an order directing that a referendum be held was published in the Federal Register on ___________________, 20___.

A Producer Referendum Ballot is on the reverse side of this page. Also enclosed are:

1. Voting Instructions and Rules Governing Producer Eligibility to Vote;

2. News Release issued on the Referendum; and

3. Copy of the Referendum Order dated __________, 20___.

The voting period for the referendum is ___________, 20___ through ___________, 20___. Please vote promptly because Ballots postmarked later than ___________, cannot be opened or counted. Each Ballot will be held in strict confidence.

____________________________

Referendum Agent

Phone: (503) 326-2724

PRODUCER REFERENDUM BALLOT

Marketing Order No. 958: Onions Grown in

Certain Designated Counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon

This Referendum is being held to determine producer support for the Federal Marketing Order regulating the handling of onions grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon. The Secretary of Agriculture will consider termination of this order if less than two-thirds of those voting and less than two-thirds of the volume represented in the referendum favor continuance.

1. Do you favor continuance of Marketing Order No. 958, regulating the handling of onions grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon?

 YES  NO

PRODUCER ELIGIBILITY STATEMENT

2. I hereby certify that I am currently a producer of onions within the production area. During the representative period ______________, 20___, through ______________, 20___, I produced for the fresh market _________ hundredweight on __________ acres in ______________________________________________________ county(ies).

3. Name of Packing House(s) that Handled your Onions Hundredweight Affiliation

__________________________________________ ________________ ______________

__________________________________________ ________________ ______________

__________________________________________ ________________ ______________

4. Producer’s Name _____________________________________________ Telephone ___________________

Name of Business ____________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address _____________________________________________________________________________

5. If this Ballot is cast by an officer or employee of a partnership, LLC, corporation, association or other business unit, my signature below further certifies that I am duly authorized to vote on behalf of the producing entity name on this Ballot and that I will submit evidence of such authority at the request of an Agent of the Secretary.

Partnership LLC Corporation Association Other _________________________

______________________________________ ____________________________________

Signature* Title

______________________________________________________________________________________

If a Partnership or Joint Venture, list name(s).

6. I hereby certify that the information I provided on this Ballot is accurate and correct to the best of my knowledge.

___________________________________ ___________________________________________

Signature* Title

*Your signature certifies that you have the authority to take such action and will submit supplementary evidence of such authority at the request of an agent of the Secretary of Agriculture. The information provided in this Ballot is required to determine voter eligibility and vote of onion producers.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

IDAHO-E. OREGON ONION BALLOT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

Specialty Crops Program

Northwest Marketing Field Office

1220 SW 3^rd Avenue, Room 308

Portland, OR 97204

Referendum Agent

USDA-AMS-SCP-NWMFO

1220 SW 3^rd Avenue, Room 308

Portland, OR 97205

FOLD HERE, TAPE AT THE TOP, AND MAIL PROMPTLY 

IDAHO-EASTERN OREGON

ONION BALLOT

SC-30 (Rev. 01/2017) Destroy previous editions.