ODA Seeking To Fill A Variety Of Commission Seats

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is seeking applicants to fill 70 commissioner seats on 22 of the state’s agricultural and commercial fisheries commodity commissions. Commissioners work as public officials and serve a two- to four-year terms.

Commissioners are appointed by ODA Director Alexis Taylor, deadline to apply is March 16^th.

Commissioner duties include funding decisions for promotion, education, and research projects. Director Taylor is looking for applicants who represent the diversity among Oregon’s farmers, ranchers, processors, and commercial fishers.

Applicants for producer or handler positions must also be a US citizen, an Oregon resident, and have paid or collected the assessment for that particular commodity for the previous three years (or longer in some cases). A “producer” is defined as a grower or harvester. A “handler” is the first to buy the commodity from the producer and is often a processor, distributor or marketer.

The following commodity commissions have openings:

Albacore Commission– 2 producers, 1 handler
Alfalfa Seed Commission– 3 producers
Beef Council– 1 beef producer, 1 dairy producer
Blueberry Commission– 2 producers, 1 handler
Clover Seed Commission– 3 producers
Dairy Products Commission–1 Willamette Valley or Southern Oregon producer, 1 Tillamook/North Coast producer, 1 handler (state at large)
Dungeness Crab Commission– 3 producers (1 each from Port of Astoria, Charleston, and Newport)
Fine Fescue Commission– 3 producers (1 state at large, 1 from Union County, 1 Highland Bentgrass grower), 1 handler (state at large)
Hazelnut Commission– 2 producers, 1 public member
Hop Commission– 3 producers
Mint Commission– 1 producer, 1 public member
Potato Commission– 3 producers (1 from Blue Mountain, 1 from Southern Oregon, 1 state at large), 1 Blue Mountain handler
Processed Vegetable Commission– 3 producers, 2 handlers
Raspberry & Blackberry Commission– 2 producers, 1 handler
Ryegrass Seed Commission– 3 producers (1 Linn County, 1 Marion or Polk County, 1 state at large)
Salmon Commission –3 producers, (1 north coast to north of Cascade Head; 1 Cascade Head to south of Florence, 1 state at large), 1 handler, 1 public member
Sheep Commission– 2 producers, 1 handler
Strawberry Commission– 3 producers, 1 handler
Sweet Cherry Commission– 2 producers (state at large), 1 brine handler (state at large)
Tall Fescue Commission– 2 producers (1 of Orchardgrass seed), 1 handler
Trawl Commission– 2 producers, 1 public member
Wheat Commission– 1 producer (Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, Jefferson, or Wasco counties), 1 handler, 1 public member