Idaho Bean Commissioner Retires

David Sparks Ph.D.

 Brent Zeyer, owner of Melmont Bean & Seed Inc.,  and a board member of the Idaho Bean Commission for the past eight years will complete his term of office on June 30, 2009. Zeyer is one of three dealer representatives from the Western Bean Dealers Association who currently serve on the Commission’s board. The association will elect a representative from its membership to recommend to Governor Otter as Zeyer’s replacement. Under the association’s rules, that person will be eligible to serve as a commission board member until 2017.

 Zeyer’s term of office has been marked by his concern for the best interests of the state’s dry bean dealers, and his willingness to serve as the Commission’s representative in Mexico where he has promoted Idaho’s dry bean seed industry, with outstanding results. Idaho’s market share of that country’s imports of dry bean seed has gone from about $80 thousand in 2004 to $1.4 million in 2008.

 Zeyer says there has been noteable change during his term on the commission. “I would say that the change has been from commercial beans in the Treasure Valley to seed beans and the farmers have been able to contract their crops with companies for seed rather than the open market commercial bean.”