Meet Lauren Port – CCIA Executive Director
Lauren is a recent transplant from Washington state, having said goodbye to her team at the Washington State Crop Improvement Association (WSCIA) in October in order to move to CCIA to take on the challenges of new crops and a larger seed certification program. In Washington, Lauren worked as manager of the WSCIA, which oversaw certification of small grains, peas, chickpeas, lentils, and a few other small-acre crops, and also produced Foundation class seed of small grain varieties developed by the breeding programs at Washington State University and Oregon State University. Lauren is currently visiting CCIA customers to learn about their operations and seed certification needs. If you want to make an introduction yourself, please do not hesitate to reach out to lport@ucdavis.edu or call 530-574-7379.
Thank you, John Palmer
John Palmer retired from his role as Executive Director of CCIA on January 4, 2021, after seven years in what he has stated was the favorite role of his career. Prior to his time as Executive Director, John worked in the private sector for 35 years, during which he served as a CCIA board member for three non-consecutive terms. Between his time as board member and Executive Director, John has contributed 25 years to the CCIA, for which we are all extremely grateful. John will continue to be involved with the CCIA, as he has been granted honorary director status and will continue through this year to consult for the certification and foundation seed programs as needed.
John recently made a presentation to Seed Central, summarizing the 10 most and least important lessons he learned during his career in the seed industry. A video of his presentation can be viewed here.
Director Update
Director elections for districts I, III, and V were held and all current directors were re-elected:
District I – Kurt Rubin
District III – Grant Baglietto
District V – Chuck Schonauer
Ann Walker was appointed by the Board to serve as a Director-At-Large.
Danny Merkley was appointed by the California Farm Bureau Federation to serve as an Agency Director.
Mark Lundy was appointed by University of California Cooperation Extension to serve as an Agency Director.
All current Directors are listed on the website at the Board of Directors page.
Website update
We are in the process of updating our website with a new framework. While this is a long process, it will provide better security, permit easier maintenance, allow for better integration, and offer our clients more control and a positive experience completing their requests. We have completed the administrative side of the site and have been testing it since November. We have the ability to use both sites at the same time, so when we find issues in the updated site, we can go back to the current site to keep the process moving forward. We will continue this process with the client side, slowly asking companies to start using the new site. Eventually, the current site will no longer be available and everyone will be using the updated website.
The updated site will change the procedure for passwords and updating your organization information. Currently, CCIA staff have access to client passwords and can share that information when requested. Going forward, the site will store only password hashes; a cryptographic representation of the actual password. This mean CCIA staff will have no access to your password. Clients that forget their passwords will have the ability to request a password reset link, which will be sent to the email on file. New users will be sent a password initiation link after their access is first granted. When the updated site is initiated, you will not be required to set a new password; you may use your current password.
Organizations will NOT need to have a separate password in order to update the company profile and employee list. Instead, one (or more) employees within the company may be granted “Org Update” status. They will log on at the same website, but have one extra tab in the navigation bar that will allow them to update company contact information as well as add, remove, or edit information and access permissions for employees. Each organization will be able to grant or remove which employees have permission to update the company profile.
Pin fee increase for Isolation Maps
At the February 2022 Board of Director meeting, it was decided to set pin fees for all maps at $15. This is an increase for some maps. The fee increase will be effective on April 1, 2022.
Sunflower Isolation and Pinning Map Fees – Ashley Koala
The sunflower Isolation Pinning Map opens up for pinning each year on January 1. The map aids the sunflower industry in complying with isolation requirements in the current year and field eligibility in future years. The map is best utilized when all sunflower production in the state is pinned for the duration of the season; certified, non-certified, and research fields. The fee for pinning fields will increase April 1, 2022. However, the pins will still be billed 30 days after pinning and if the status of a pin is updated to “inactive” prior to 30 days there will be no charge. Inactive pins are automatically removed from the map. As a best practice, it is encouraged to immediately inactivate pins after knowing a contract for a field will not be signed and no other sunflower production will be on that field. If any type of sunflower production is planned, it is encouraged to keep the pin as active.
Certified Seed Sampler Training
The CCIA executes a Seed Sampler Certification Program under AASCO’s (Association of American Seed Control Officials) oversight. The objective of this Program is to ensure that certified seed samplers use methods and equipment that are approved by AOSA (Association of Official Seed Analysts). Seed sampler training should lead to uniformity in sampling of all certified seed that is produced and used in or derived from our state. More importantly, it should also lead to accurate seed test results and labels that better reflect the quality of seed in warehouses being offered for sale and/or shipment. Therefore, CCIA requires that all seed samples sent to the seed laboratories for certification purposes be sampled by certified samplers. This workshop is intended for the Agricultural Commissioner and seed warehouse personnel that are or will be sampling seed according to the AOSA rules. We would be grateful if you made this announcement widely available to others that may wish to attend.
Several training workshops have been scheduled:
- Davis – April 21
- Fresno – May 5
- Imperial Valley – May 12
More information and registration forms are available at the Seed Sampler Certification Program page.