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Oilseed Commission election nominations still neededOklahoma If you are an Oklahoma farmer producing oilseed crops like winter canola, be sure to participate in a state-wide election to create an Oklahoma Oilseed Commission. The purpose of the five-member commission will be to administer check off funds which will be collected on oilseed grown in Oklahoma. An assessment to be determined by the commission will be collected and used to develop programs that will enhance oilseed production, provide oilseed research, promote market development, education and improve profitability of Oklahoma oilseed producers. Earlier this year, an announcement was made by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry announcing the election, how the proposed commission will be formed and where the five state districts the commissioners would represent will be located. The original deadline was Oct. 2, but nominations have been received for only three of the five districts. So, the nomination process has been extended into November, to give Oklahoma oilseed producers a chance to get nominations for all five districts. The two districts not receiving nominations are Districts one and five. District one represents Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Woodward, Ellis, Dewey, Roger Mills and Custer counties. District two consists of Beckham, Washita, Caddo, Grady, Greer, Kiowa, Comanche, Harmon, Jackson, Tillman and Cotton counties. District three has Woods, Alfalfa, Major, Blaine, Kingfisher, Canadian, Grant, Kay, Garfield, Noble, Logan, Payne, Oklahoma and LIncoln counties. District four has Osage, Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Muskogee, Sequoyah and McIntosh counties. District five is made up of Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes, Pittsburg, Haskell, LeFlore, Stephens, Jefferson, McClain, Garvin, Murray, Carter, Love, Pontotoc, Johnston, Marshall, Coal, Atoka, Bryan, Latimer, Pushmataha, Choctaw and McCurtain counties. Any person qualified to serve on the commission may place his or her name in nomination to represent the district where they reside. The nominee must certify a willingness to serve if elected. The nomination form must be signed by the nominee and must have the signature and complete mailing addresses of 10 other eligible voters who reside in the district the nominee is seekng to represent. Nomination forms may be obtained from the ODA, county extension offices and grain elevators. The election shall be conducted by mail-in ballot. Ballots will be available from the ODA, county extension offices and grain elevators. Anyone who is at least 25 years old, is a resident of Oklahoma, has been engaged in the production of oilseed in the state for a period of at least two years and derives a portion of their income from the production of oilseed is eligible to serve on the commission. The nominee must also reside and farm in the district where he is seeking election. Voters in District one will elect one director to serve an initial two-year term. Voters in District two will elect one director to serve an initial three-year term. Voters in District three will elect one director to serve an initial four year term. Voters in District four will elect one director to serve an initial five-year term. Voters in District five will elect one director to serve an initial six-year term. The exact date in November, for the nomination deadline has not been announced to give producers plenty of time to send in their nominations to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Attn: Glen Schickedanz, PO Box 528804, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-8804 For information on ballots, call Glen Schickedanz at 800-580-6543 or by e-mail at glen.schickedanz@oda.state.us. Also information can be obtained by contacting Gene Neuens, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Oklahoma City, Okla., at 405-232-7555. Neuens' cell is 405-760-4205. His e-mail address is cscneuens@yahoo.com. More information and sample ballots can be found online at www.oda.state.us.
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