Oregon, USA
February 4, 2014
On January 14, 2014, over 160 people attended the Oregon Seed Association’s (OSA) annual Mid-Winter Meeting at the Salem Conference Center. Guests included keynote speaker Richard Whitman, Oregon Senior Policy Advisor for Natural Resources; Adriel Garay, Laboratory Manager at OSU’s Seed Laboratory; and Bernice Slutsky, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Domestic and International Policy at the American Seed Trade Association.
The annual OSA Mid-Winter Meeting is a one-day event which includes committee meetings, association business, workshops and updates from state agencies. Participants discussed issues relating to seed quality management, regional transportation options, GM crop stewardship, and domestic and regional concerns.
OSA also welcomed eight new members to the association, including BASF, Bayer CropScience, Columbia River Seed, DuPont Pioneer, Jade Logistics, Lakeside Ag-Ventures, Syngenta and Universal Seed. This growth in membership continues a trend seen by the association over the past 12 months.
The highlight of the meeting was awarding over $9,500 in scholarships to seven Oregon State University students. Three types of scholarships are awarded to students seeking higher education in agriculture with aspirations for a future in the seed industry. Committee chair Nancy Aerni, Turf Merchants, Inc., presented the scholarships. Recipients were invited to attend the meeting to accept their awards.
The recipients were: Kylee Jensen, Pendleton, Ore. ($300); Jaimee Brentano, Newberg, Ore. ($500); Christy McCarthy, Forest Grove, Ore. ($1,000); Simon Fraher, Olympia, Wash. ($1,000); Ann Bernert, Portland, Ore. ($1,500); and Mitch Evers, Forest Grove, Ore. ($2,250). In addition, Gabe Flick, Caldwell, ID, was awarded the William Kent Wiley Jr. Fellowship.
The Oregon Seed Association (OSA) is a non-profit agricultural trade association representing the interests of Oregon’s world-renowned seed industry. OSA members market and distribute Oregon grass and agricultural seed to over 70 countries on six continents.
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