Applicants sought for 2 Oregon Board of Agriculture vacancies, 66 commodity commission openings

(Update: Adding commodity commission openings)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Office of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is now accepting applications to fill partial terms for two Oregon State Board of Agriculture producer positions. The two open producer positions require the applicant to produce agricultural commodities in Oregon actively.    

  Term lengths on open positions are as follows: 

• Producer position 02, partial term ends 10/31/2026, eligible to serve at least one additional 4-year term. 
• Producer position 06, partial term ends 10/31/2026, qualified to serve at least one additional 4-year term.

  In addition to new producer applications, previous eligible producer applications with interest forms on file with the Governor’s Executive Appointments office will also be considered. Ideal candidates for producer positions will reflect the diverse nature of agriculture production in Oregon, including geographic and commodity representation. 

 Top candidates may be contacted for additional information during the interest form review process. Applicants must submit their applications by the close of business on March 29. This will be an abbreviated process to ensure the Board has full membership by the meeting in June 2024.

To apply:  

You must complete an interest form and include supplemental information such as a resume, statement of interest, and a short bio by March 29 end of day. Please visit the State of Oregon Boards and Commissions webpage for complete steps and details.  

Meeting and compensation: 

The 10-member Board meets every quarter at locations throughout the state as the chairperson determines. Compensation and travel expenses for time spent performing official duties are permitted based on the Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 292.495.  

The Governor is responsible for appointing nine Board of Agriculture members. The Oregon State Board of Agriculture is a 10-member board that advises the Oregon Department of Agriculture on policy issues, develops recommendations on key agricultural issues, and advocates for the state’s agriculture industry in general. The Board is established by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 561.372.  

Board membership requirements include: 

• Seven board members who are actively engaged in the production of agricultural commodities.
• Two board members who are not actively engaged in the production of agricultural commodities.
• Chairperson of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission (ex-officio, voting).
• Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ex-officio, non-voting). 
• Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences of Oregon State University (ex-officio, non-voting).
• Members appointed to the Board must be Oregon residents.
• Not more than five members appointed to the Board may belong to the same political party.

Appointment terms:

• Term length: 4 years; may serve two consecutive terms.
• Confirmed by Senate: No

The ODA also seeks applicants to fill 66 commissioner seats on 22 of the state’s agricultural and commercial fisheries commodity commissions.

The deadline to apply is March 15, 2024.

For instructions on how to apply or to learn more about commissions, please visit oda.direct/commissions.

The Director of the ODA appoints commissioners. Once selected commissioners serve as public officials; most serve three-year terms. Their duties include making decisions about funding for promotion, education, and research projects. The Director is seeking applicants representing the diversity among Oregon’s farmers, ranchers, processors, and commercial fisheries. For public members, users of the commodity who have an interest and time to serve are often the best fit.

A public member must be a U.S. citizen, an Oregon resident, and have an active interest in improving economic conditions for the commodity. A public member cannot be directly associated with producing or handling the specific commodity they seek to serve.

Applicants for producer or handler positions must also be U.S. citizens, 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:

Oregon Albacore Commission – 1 producer (P1) & 1 handler (H1)

Oregon Beef Council – 2 producers (P1 dairy, P3 beef), 1 handler (H1), 1 public (M)

Oregon Blueberry Commission – 2 producers (P2, P4), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Clover Commission – 3 producers (P1, P2, P3), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Dairy Products Commission – *2 producers (P1, P2)

P1 - (Central and Eastern Oregon (Malheur, Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, Umatilla, Harney, Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Hood River, Wasco, Morrow, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, and Lake counties)

P2 - (Central and Eastern Oregon (Malheur, Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, Umatilla, Harney, Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Hood River, Wasco, Morrow, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, and Lake counties)

Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission –1 producer (P1), 1 handler (H1), 1 public (M)

Oregon Fine Fescue Commission - 2 produces (P1 Union County, P2 at large), 1 public

Oregon Hazelnut Commission – 2 producers (P1, P2), 1 handler (H1)

Oregon Hemp Commission – 1 producer (P5), 1 handler (H1), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Hop Commission – 3 producers (P1, P2, P3)

Oregon Mint Commission – 1 producer (P5), 1 Handler (H1)

Oregon Potato Commission – *3 producers (P1, P5, P8), 1 handler (H1)

P1 - Blue Mountain (Baker, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Morrow, & Umatilla Counties)

P5 - Klamath, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine & Lake Counties

P8 - State at Large

Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission – 4 producers (P1, P2, P5, P6)

Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission – 1 producer (P1), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Ryegrass Growers Seed Commission – *2 producers (P2, P7), 1 handler (H1)

P2 – State at large, P7 - Lane or Benton Counties

Oregon Salmon Commission – 3 producers (P1, P2, P6),1 handler (H2), 1 public (M)

P1 - Northern Oregon border to North of Cascade Head

P2 - Cascade Head to south of Florence

P6 – State at Large

Oregon Sheep Commission – 2 producers (P3, P4), 1 handler (H2)

Oregon Strawberry Commission – 1 producer (P1), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission – *2 producers (P4, P5), 1 public member (M)

*(Wasco and Hood River Counties)

Oregon Tall Fescue Commission – 2 producers (P1, P3), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Trawl Commission – 2 producers (P4, P5), 1 public member (M)

Oregon Wheat Commission – *1 producer (P1), 1 handler (H1), 1 public member (M)

*(Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, Wasco & Jefferson Counties)

Commodity Commissions Oversight Committee – 1 administrator, 1 commissioner