Elections for a Mid-Columbia District Grower member and two alternates to the Fresh Pear Committee (FPC) of Marketing Order #927 are scheduled to be held at 11:50 a.m. on February 17, 2026, at the Mid-Columbia Winter Horticultural Meeting at The Hood River Hotel, 102 Oak St., Hood River, Oregon. The meeting will be in-person and will be hosted and moderated by Ashley Thompson.

Only fresh pear growers from the Mid-Columbia District (includes Hood River and Wasco counties in the state of Oregon, and the counties of Skamania and Klickitat in the state of Washington) are eligible to nominate and vote in this election. The positions to be filled include Member position held by Adam McCarthy, the First Alternate position held by Dane Klindt and the Second Alternate position held by Erick Von Lubken.

These three positions are eligible for re-election since they have served two out of three possible consecutive terms. Names of those elected will be submitted to the United States Secretary of Agriculture for official appointment to the committee and will serve for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2026.

Among other duties, the Fresh Pear Committee is responsible for setting the assessment rates for research and promotion and advertising of all pears grown in Washington and Oregon marketed in the domestic and export markets.

The committee encourages women, minorities, and the physically challenged, who qualify as pear growers/handlers, to attend and participate in the nomination proceedings