Title 7

SECTION 1209.301

1209.301 Definitions.

§ 1209.301 Definitions.

Unless otherwise defined below, the definition of terms used in these procedures shall have the same meaning as the definitions in the Order.

(a) Administrator means the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, with power to redelegate, or any officer or employee of the Department to whom authority has been delegated or may hereafter be delegated to act in the Administrator's stead.

(b) Order means the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order, including an amendment to the Order.

(c) Referendum agent or agent means the individual or individuals designated by the Secretary to conduct the referendum.

(d) Representative period means the period designated by the Secretary.

(e) Person means any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, or any other legal entity. For the purpose of this definition, the term “partnership” includes, but is not limited to:

(1) A husband and wife who have title to, or leasehold interest in, mushroom production facilities and equipment as tenants in common, joint tenants, tenants by the entirety, or, under community property laws, as community property, and

(2) So-called “joint ventures”, wherein one or more parties to the agreement, informal or otherwise, contributed capital and others contributed labor, management, equipment, or other services, or any variation of such contributions by two or more parties so that it results in the production or importation of fresh mushrooms and the authority to transfer title to the mushrooms so produced or imported.

(f) Eligible producer means any person or entity defined as a producer who produces, on average, over 500,000 pounds annually of fresh mushrooms during the representative period and who:

(1) Owns or shares in the ownership of mushroom production facilities and equipment resulting in the ownership of the mushrooms produced;

(2) Rents mushroom production facilities and equipment resulting in the ownership of all or a portion of the mushrooms produced;

(3) Owns mushroom production facilities and equipment but does not manage them and, as compensation, obtains the ownership of a portion of the mushrooms produced; or

(4) Is a party in a landlord-tenant relationship or a divided ownership arrangement involving totally independent entities cooperating only to produce mushrooms who share the risk of loss and receive a share of the mushrooms produced. No other acquisition of legal title to mushrooms shall be deemed to result in persons becoming eligible producers.

(g) Eligible importer means any person or entity defined as an importer who imports, on average, over 500,000 pounds annually of fresh mushrooms during the representative period. Importation occurs when commodities originating outside the United States are entered or withdrawn from the U.S. Customs Service for consumption in the United States. Included are persons who hold title to foreign-produced mushrooms immediately upon release by the U.S. Customs Service, as well as any persons who act on behalf of others, as agents or brokers, to secure the release of mushrooms from the U.S. Customs Service when such mushrooms are entered or withdrawn for consumption in the United States.