December 26, 2017
Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017
LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointment of John Williams of Hart, as well as the reappointments of Victor Shank of Dowagiac, Tom Oomen of Hart, Nick Oomen of Hart, and Tracey Butler of Shelby to the Michigan Asparagus Marketing Advisory Board, which develops and implements asparagus marketing programs.
"I thank this group of individuals for their commitment to promoting Michigan’s agriculture industry," Snyder said.
Appointment:
Williams has farmed for more than 40 years and his farm is a diverse operation raising multiple crops. He farms 100 acres of asparagus, 20 acres of sweet cherries, 150 acres of tart cherries, 15 acres of apples, and 10 acres of peaches and plums. Williams retired from the United States Postal Service after 25 years of service and the Hart Fire Department after 28 years of service. He will represent growers-at-large and replace Ryan Walsworth.
Reappointments:
Shank is the president of Central Produce Sales, Inc., a farming operation that produces fruits, vegetables, and seed corn, as well as a brokerage operation that supplies processing snap beans to food processors in the U.S. and Canada. He has farmed for more than 30 years and grows asparagus, apples, seed corn, snap beans, zucchini, and cherries. Shank studied agricultural economics at the University of Arkansas. He will continue to represent Southwest Michigan growers.
Tom Oomen is the president of Oomen Farms Ltd., Inc. He has farmed for more than 40 years and grows asparagus, zucchini, carrots, green beans, pumpkins, rutabaga, corn, wheat, cherries, and rye. Oomen also served on the National Asparagus Council. He will continue to represent growers-at-large.
Nick Oomen works on Oomen Brothers Farms. He has farmed for 16 years and grows asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, corn, carrots, wheat, rye, squash, and cherries, as well as finishing hogs. Oomen holds a degree in agricultural industries from Michigan State University. He will continue to represent growers-at-large.
Butler is the owner and manager of Lakeshore Farms/Butler Farms, a family-owned centennial farm that grows crops for Pinnacle Foods, Nestle, Indian Summer, Michigan Freeze Pack, Todd Greiner Farms, and Spiech Farms. She has farmed for more than 28 years and grows tart cherries, apples, asparagus, cling peaches, and hay, as well as raising cattle. Butler holds an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Muskegon Community College. She will continue to represent growers-at-large.
Members serve three-year terms expiring Nov. 13, 2020. Their appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
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