USDA Seeks Nominees for the Hazelnut Marketing Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the Hazelnut Marketing Board to fill seats for nine members and nine alternates for two-year terms, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2028. The board is accepting nominations until May 1, 2026.

The board is seeking nominees for growers and handlers for the following areas:

GROWERS

• District 1 - State of Washington, and Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, Oregon; one member and one alternate
• District 2 - Marion and Polk Counties, Oregon; one member and one alternate
• District 3 - Linn, Lane, and Benton Counties, Oregon; one member and one alternate
• District 4 - Yamhill County, Oregon; one member and one alternate
• District 5 - All other Oregon counties within the production area; one member and one alternate

HANDLERS

• Handler 1 - Nominated by the largest handler by volume for the last two production years (2024 and 2025); one member and one alternate
• Handler 2 - Nominated by the second largest handler by volume for the last two production years (2024 and 2025); one member and one alternate
• Handler 3 - Nominated by the third largest handler by volume for the last two production years (2024 and 2025); one member and one alternate
• Handler 4 - Nominated by all other handlers; one member and one alternate

For nomination information, contact the Hazelnut Marketing Board at (503) 582-8420 or [email protected] or USDA Marketing Specialist Virginia Tjemsland at (971) 416-6472 or [email protected].

To qualify as a grower member or alternate, nominees must be a grower, or an officer, employee, or agent of a grower, who grows hazelnuts in the district for which they are nominated. To qualify as a handler member, nominees must be a handler, or an officer or employee of a handler, who handles hazelnuts within the production area.

The board is comprised of ten members. Five members represent growers, four members represent handlers, and one serves as a public member. More information about the Board is available on the Hazelnut Marketing Board webpage on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by using their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable, and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.