About the Commodity Liaison Committee
The IR-4 Commodity Liaison Committee (CLC) is a stakeholder group that provides guidance to the IR-4 Project on ways the organization can best serve specialty crop growers. Members are representatives of various commodity groups in the specialty crop industry. They also advocate for IR-4 to elected officials and decision makers.
The committee meets virtually every two months. They also meet annually in March at the joint PMC and CLC meeting, and in the fall at the Food Use Workshop.
CLC Leadership
Todd Scholz (Chair)
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
2780 W. Pullman Road
Moscow, ID, 83843-4024
Phone: 208-882-3023
Cell: 208-596-5025
toddscholz@usapulses.org
Keith Pitts (Vice Chair)
SVP – Sustainability and Regulatory Strategy
Bioceres Crop Solutions
Davis, CA 95628
Cell: 240-463-4357
kpitts@profarmgroup.com
CLC Members
Michael Aerts
Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
800 Trafalgar Court
Suite 200
Maitland, FL, 32751
Phone: 321-214-5200
Fax: 321-214-0210
Cell: 407-257-4694
mike.aerts@ffva.com
Mark Arney
National Watermelon Promotion Board
1321 Sundial Point
Winter Springs, FL, 32708
Phone: 407-917-8698
Fax: 407-917-8698
marney@watermelon.org
Zach Bagley
California Tomato Research Institute
PO Box 2437
Woodland, CA, 95695
Phone: 530-405-9469
zach@tomatonet.org
Michael Bledsoe
Village Farms, L.P.
90 Colonial Center Parkway
Suite 100
Lake Mary, FL, 32746
Fax: 732-440-1303
Cell: 407-493-3933
mebledsoe@villagefarms.com
John Walt Boatright
American Farm Bureau Federation
600 Maryland Avenue
Washington, DC, 20024
Phone: 202-406-3684
johnwaltb@fb.org
Jennifer Clarke
California Leafy Greens Research Program
512 Pajaro Street
Salinas, CA, 93901
Phone: 831-424-3782
jennifer@calgreens.org
James R. Cranney
California Citrus Quality Council
853 Lincoln Way, Suite 206
Auburn, CA, 95603
Phone: 530-885-1894
Fax: 530-885-1546
jcranney@calcitrusquality.org
Alan DeYoung
Van Drunen Farms
2692 N. State Rt. 1-17
Momence, IL, 60954
Phone: 815-592-2958
Fax: 815-472-3544
adeyoung@vandrunen.com
Maggie Elliot
Hops Growers of America/Washington Hops Commission
Liberty Building
32 N 3rd Street, Suite 408
Yakima, WA 98901
melliot@wahops.org
Bill Frantz
The Cranberry Institute
265 D South Meadow Road
Plymouth, MA, 02360
Phone: 508-866-1118
Fax: 774-843-5641
bfrantz@cranberryinstitute.org
Michelle Grainger
NC SweetPotato Commission
700 E Parrish Drive, Suite C
Benson, North Carolina 27504
Phone: 919-894-1067
Cell: 919-414-0035
michelle@ncsweetpotatoes.com
Bob Jones
The Chef’s Garden
Phone: 419-433-4947
bobj@chefs-garden.com
Bob Kaldunski
Ginseng Board of Wisconsin
668 Maratech Ave.
Suite E
Marathon, WI 54448
Phone: 715-443-2444
kalbob74@gmail.com
Kevin Kudsk
National Onion Association
1002 S. Sundance Rd
Othello, WA 99344
Kevin@LLfarms.com
Michael Martin
Horticulture Research Institute
2130 Stella Court
Columbus, OH, 43215
Phone: 202-789-8110
michaelm@americanhort.org
Armando Monterroso
Brooks Tropicals, LLC
18400 SW 256 Street
Homestead, FL, 33090-0160
Phone: 305-247-3544
Cell: 786-255-0735
armando@brookstropicals.com
Cherry Marketing Institute
Kam Quarles
National Potato Council
1300 L Street, NW #910
Washington, DC, 20005
Phone: 202-741-9178
kamq@nationalpotatocouncil.org
Amy Plato Roberts
Lallemand Plant Care
Phone: 208-788-0217
aroberts@lallemand.com
Rachel Roberts
American Mushroom Institute
1284 Gap Newport Pike
Suite 2
Avondale, PA, 19311
Phone: 610-268-7483
rroberts@americanmushroom.org
Steven Salisbury
Mint Industry Research Council
P.O. Box 4059
Salem, OR, 97302-1059
Phone: 503-551-3747
steve@pacificagresources.com
Jonathan Sarager
Western Growers
1776 Eye Street NW, Suite 255
Washington, DC, 20006
Phone: 202-296-0191
jsarager@wga.com
Alan Schreiber
Agriculture Development Group, Inc.
2621 Ringold Road
Eltopia, WA, 99330
Phone: 509-266-4348
aschreib@centurytel.net
Laura Shumow
American Spice Trade Association
1101 17th St NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-331-2460
lshumow@astaspice.org
Michelle Starke
CoverCress, Inc.
10407 Baur Blvd., Suite A
St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone: 808-721-8940
mstarke@covercress.com
Berry Tanner
National Watermelon Association Rep (Alternative)
1130 Old Orangeburg Rd
Fairfax, SC, 29827
Phone: 912-424-9630
berry@coosawfarms.com
berrytanner68@yahoo.com
Amy Upton
Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association
2149 Commons Parkway, Okemos MI 48864
Phone: 517-381-0437
Cell: 517-331-8896
amy@mnla.org
Lee Van Wychen
Weed Science Society of America
5720 Glenmullen Pl,
Alexandria, VA 22303
Phone: 202-746-4686
Lee.VanWychen@wssa.net
Ryan Wysocki
Michigan Blueberry Commission
4645 Washington Avenue
Hamilton, MI 49419
Phone: 616-648-4638
ryan.wysocki@endeavorllp.com
