I attended the Oregon Seed Council meeting last night with Bryan Muntz, and have prepared the following update. If you have any questions about the following, please do not hesitate to call: 503-858-4416.

Updates from the Commissions and the OSC committees were brief, and some had no report to offer at all. A bulk of the conversation revolved around slug control and different associations outside of the seed industry that may have an interest in battling slugs with us. Cattlemen were specifically mentioned as they see a substantial annual loss associated with slugs. This led to a conversation about an endowed professorship at OSU that would focus on entomology.

I updated the Oregon Seed Council on several items: I noted that the new OSA website had gone live; I noticed a few people jotting down the website URL and we did receive positive feedback from those who had already been to look at the new site. I noted that the OSA web link was not on the OSC website and that we would like to have that issue fixed as soon as possible. I noted that we are watching for unfriendly ballot measures being submitted to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office that seek to regulate the seed industry from the citizen level. The Summer Convention was brought up, as well as our effort to put together a summary that demonstrates the economic benefit of the seed industry to Oregon.

I have attached the OSU Update as it is always presented in hard copy.

Ron Pence with the Department of Ag was present. He noted that there is currently one slow pay no pay claim that looks like it is going to the license suspension stage. Pence noted that the seed contracting law that passed in 2011 did have a part to play in giving the Department the authority to fully investigate, work on mitigating the issue between the parties, and ultimately make the decision to seek license suspension. Pence also noted that the department is working on an administrative rule associated with Rathayibacter Toxicus. I have attached the ODA Update he provided on a quarantine proposal to deal with the issue, should it become a problem. There was also a brief conversation about the consistency of seed sampling, which validates the conversations that OSA has had internally about how to develop a more reliable and consistent system of sampling. Pence ended his update by noting that the Department is now working on sending out phyto certificates via email, a process that they have asked OSA to engage in as well.

Hope you are well.

Greg Miller
Executive Director
503-858-4416

The Oregon State Board of Agriculture will meet in Salem June 5-6.

On day one, the board will hold a round-table discussion with industry representatives on legislative developments. Also, the Oregon Farm Bureau will provide an overview of congressional efforts to reform U.S. immigration policy.

On day two, the board will hear from a panel on strategic efforts to implement Oregon’s agriculture water quality program. A second panel will present an update on the Food Safety Modernization Act.

A public comment period is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. June 5.

The meeting will be in the hearings room of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, 635 Capitol St. N.E.

It begins at 8:30 a.m. both days.

The meeting is open to the public.

Published 5/28/13 in the Capital Press.

We are just six weeks away from the OSA Summer Convention at Salishan, and we hope you can all attend. If you have not already registered, we encourage you to do so now. Early bird pricing ends May 24. Sign up now to avoid paying an additional 10% for registration fees. Convention registration forms and online registration are located at http://oregonseed2.pacwestweb.com/events/summer-convention/.

ROOMS
You will also want to call soon to reserve a room with Salishan. The block of rooms will be held only through May 26, and after that the unclaimed rooms will be released for general sale. Salishan will still honor the contracted rate for guests reserving a room after this date, but only if available. Call 1-800-452-2300, and make sure to mention Oregon Seed Association.

SPONSORS
If you are interested in contributing as a convention sponsor, or hosting an exhibit table, please contact us soon. Exhibit tables are filling up quickly and sponsors get priority.

GOLF
We still have some tee times available for golf on Saturday morning after the convention. Please contact John Cochran (john@turfmerchants.com) or Angie Blacker (blacker@pacwestcom.com) to sign up. Tee times start at 8:10 am, and the cost is $89 per person, which includes the cart. Please pay Salishan directly.

Please feel free to contact OSA at 503-685-7555 or blacker@pacwestcom.com if you have any questions. We’ll see all of you in June!

TACOMA, Wash., April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — To meet the needs and demands of a growing market Sprague Pest Solutions has expanded and moved its Portland, Oregon service center.

The new service center features a 40-seat training center, 4,500 sq. ft. warehouse, 1,280 cubic ft. heat treatment and fumigation chamber, and a secured lot for onsite fumigation of equipment and trailers up to 53 ft. in length.

“The additional space allows us to expand our heating and fumigation service capabilities and provide a valuable service to our clients, especially those involved in food processing, distribution and agriculture,” says Brian Kalbfleisch, Sprague district manager for Oregon and Southwest Washington. “We can service small lot shipments, bins and equipment used in food processing, farm equipment as well as furniture that is infested with bed bugs.”

To read more, visit the Wall Street Journal.

SALEM — Democrat and Republican budgets released March 4 include 10 percent increases in natural resource agency funding, marking the first time in more than a decade they could receive boosts in general funds.

The Democrats’ budget also includes $5.7 million more for Oregon State University’s statewide public services than what Gov. John Kitzhaber recommended in his budget.
The Republican budget did not address the statewide services.

To read more, visit Capital Press.