The Oregon Department of Agriculture proposed budget, Specialty Crop Block Grant project updates, Northwest fruit, and the China Trade Mission update are all on the agenda for the next quarterly meeting of the State Board of Agriculture to be held June 5-7 in Hood River.
The full board meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5 with a review and discussion of the process related to Board Resolutions. The 10-member board will then break into subcommittees on natural resources and land use.
On the first full day, the board will receive an update on the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s legislative issues including the 2019-21 proposed agency budget, legislative concepts and policy option packages, as well as reports on ODA’s Natural Resource and Internal Service & Consumer Protection Programs. Board members will also hear project updates from groups receiving Specialty Crop Block Grant funding including, the Oregon Cider Industry, and an overview of a research project on the “Evaluation of Biofilms that Reduce Water Usage in some Specialty Fruit Crops.” A panel presentation on Northwest fruit moving from the grower to the marketplace will include growers, a value-added processor, and a representative from the Northwest Horticulture Society. The afternoon agenda includes tours of H2A worker housing and a fruit packing operation.
On the final day, board members will receive an update on the recent trade mission to China and hear a presentation from the Cultivating Change Foundation and their work here in Oregon. The board meeting will conclude its meeting by reviewing resolutions and providing subcommittee reports.
Public comment periods are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 6 and 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 7.
The full board meeting begins at 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 5 in the Riverview Room at the Best Western Hood River Inn, 1108 East Marina Way in Hood River and will resume at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 6 and 8:45 a.m. Thursday, June 7. The meeting is open to the public.
