Getting involved in Ag

Getting involved in Ag. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

Every now and then agricultural and fishery commodity commissions look for dynamic and passionate people to fill commissioner positions. For someone who wants to get involved in the nuts and bolts of agriculture, this is your chance. Applications are now being accepted for 78 positions that need to be filled in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Agriculture's Kris Anderson says commissions remain a vital and important player in the success of the state's agriculture and fishery industries.

ANDERSON: In Oregon, there are 23 commodity commissions. For those who that doesn't resonate with, when you hear the phrase ‘beef, it's what's for dinner', that represents the work of a commodity commission. In Oregon, it's called the Oregon Beef Council.
 
By forming a commodity commission, growers and handlers agree to assess themselves in order to accomplish things that can't be done by individual producers. While those activities and accomplishments vary from commission to commission, each have the same general mission- to fund projects for research, promotion, or education. So what kind of person makes a good commissioner?

ANDERSON: "Someone who feels very passionate about improving the conditions- either marketing or production-wise- for their particular commodity. They really need that passion because they are making decisions on behalf of the entire industry sector
  
ODA Director Katy Coba is expected to begin making appointments to commodity commissions starting in May. Anyone interested in applying can contact ODA or the individual commodity commission of interest. Anderson explains how commodity commissions work in Oregon.

ANDERSON:All these commissions have the ability to assess the people who grow or produce the commodity. Then the commissions decide how to use that money. They can use it for research that's related to production, they can use it for marketing or promotion, and they can use it for educational purposes.

Anderson says Oregon's 23 commodity commissions are actively recruiting to fill vacant commissioner positions.

ANDERSON: We have 78 opening for farmers or harvesters, handlers- those are the people that are the first purchaser of the commodity, and for public members. Each commission has a public member on it.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.