Oregon Hazelnut Commission

The Oregon Hazelnut Commission (OHC) is a Commodity Commission and agency of the State of Oregon under the Oregon Department of Agriculture. It was formed by legislative action in 1951. The charge of the OHC is to provide production research for the hazelnut industry. Members are appointed by the Director of Agriculture and include seven growers and one public member. Funding for the Commission is a per-ton assessment determined by and collected from the growers via the handlers.

Hazelnut Crop Insurance Initiative

The Oregon Hazelnut Commission is working to establish a federal crop insurance program for our industry, an important step in providing growers with a robust and reliable risk management tool. Hazelnuts remain the only major tree nut crop in the United States without an established crop-specific insurance program.

Grower participation in this effort will be vital in developing a viable program that can provide future risk-management options for the industry. To support this effort, we have partnered with AgriLogic Consulting, a firm with extensive experience in developing federal crop insurance programs. AgriLogic has worked on more than 70 such programs to date, with a strong emphasis on specialty crops like hazelnuts. Most recently, they have developed programs for the macadamia nut, kiwifruit, and pomegranate industries. The success of this effort depends on broad grower participation.

A critical component of the program development is the collection of grower-level production data, which will be used exclusively to develop premium rates and ensure the program accurately reflects the risks faced by our industry. We respectfully ask that you complete the attached form using the best available information from your farm, covering the past 20 years of production history (or longer, if available). While voluntary, as comprehensive of a response pool as possible will be vital to ensure the program is well-designed and effective in supporting the long-term success of Oregon hazelnut growers.

All contact and any personally identifiable information will be kept strictly confidential and protected under the Non-Disclosure Agreement between the Oregon Hazelnut Commission and AgriLogic Consulting and will not be shared with any other parties. All production information will be anonymized and aggregated. Individual grower information will not be publicly reported.

This initiative has been a long time in the making. Notably, among the top 20 fruit and tree nut crops grown in the United States by acreage, hazelnuts are currently the only crop without a federal crop insurance program in place. Thank you for your help in this effort to bring a safety net to our growers. Please return this completed form by July 15 to one of the following:

• Email: Brannick Sweetser at bsweetser@agrilogic.com, or to the Hazelnut Industry Office at hazelnut@oregonhazelnuts.org
• Mail: AgriLogic Consulting, 6244 FM 50, Bryan, TX 77807

OHC & AgriLogic Crop Insurance Initiative Form (MS Word Version)

OHC & AgriLogic Crop Insurance Initiative Form (MS Excel Version)

OHC & AgriLogic Crop Insurance Initiative Form (PDF Version)

Overview of Rules

Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) determine how the Oregon Hazelnut Commission and other state agencies operate, including how they interpret and implement state laws. Administrative rules can also describe agency practices and policies. Rules may be adopted, amended, repealed, suspended, or renumbered through a process known as rulemaking. Our rulemaking process offers several opportunities to provide feedback on a proposed rule. After a proposed rule has been approved and filed with the Secretary of State, that rule becomes adopted.

Adopted Rules

The Oregon Hazelnut Commission is the formal policy and rulemaking body for the Oregon hazelnut industry. Proposed rules only become effective when the Commission adopts them. Adopted rules regarding hazelnuts can be found here: Click to access the hazelnut rules database on the OAR website

Proposed Rules

The Oregon Hazelnut Commission does not currently have any proposed rules. When the Commission engages in rulemaking, it includes on this page a statement of potential fiscal impact of the proposed rule; summary of the proposed rule; FAQ documents pertaining to the rulemaking; and minutes or recordings from rulemaking meetings. Public comments will also be published on this page during the rulemaking process.

Rulemaking Calendar

The Oregon Hazelnut Commission does not currently have any rulemaking scheduled for 2025.

Public Meeting Complaint Process

There are mandatory prerequisites for submitting Public Meetings Law complaints to OGEC. These prerequisites also apply to executive session complaints. If you fail to satisfy the mandatory prerequisites before filing your complaint with OGEC, your complaint will be dismissed.

If you believe a Public Meetings Law violation has occurred:

1. You must submit a written grievance to the public body at issue. The public body may identify on its website the person to whom the grievance should be submitted. The grievance shall be sent to the Oregon Hazelnut Commission via Hazelnut@oregonhazelnuts.org. The grievance must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the alleged violation occurring and must include:

1. 1. The date of submission.
   2. The name and contact information of the person filing the grievance.
   3. The date of the meeting when the alleged violation occurred.
   4. A description of the facts and circumstances of the alleged violation.

1. You must give the public body up to 21 days to respond to your written grievance. The public body’s written response should acknowledge receipt of the grievance and address it in one of the following ways:

1. 1. Deny the facts and circumstances alleged in the grievance. Provide the public body’s version of events and why those facts are not a violation of the law.
   2. Admit to the facts and circumstances alleged in the grievance, but deny that they are a violation of the law.
   3. Admit to the facts and circumstances alleged in the grievance and that they are a violation of the law. Explain the steps the governing body will take to address the violation.

1. You can submit a complaint to OGEC only after steps 1 and 2 are completed. When you submit your complaint, you must include proof that you satisfied the mandatory prerequisites. Proof includes documentation of your written grievance and the public body’s response. If they did not respond within 21 days, proof may include affirmation of the public body’s non-response.

If you fail to complete these steps before filing your complaint with OGEC, your complaint will be dismissed.