Hazelnut farmer appointed to state Board of Agriculture

Junction City hazelnut producer Bryan Harper has been appointed to the Oregon Board of Agriculture.

In addition to managing Harper Farms Inc., Harper  serves as a volunteer member of the Lane County Farm Bureau board of directors. He is a graduate of and former student athlete at the University of Oregon.

“Bryan is an active member of the south Willamette Valley community and brings a fresh perspective to the Board of Agriculture,” Gov. Kate Brown said in a news release announcing the appointment. “He has a keen understanding of Oregon’s agricultural economy as a fifth-generation Oregon farmer, and I appreciate his willingness to serve.”

Brown’s office declined to provide more information about Harper. The Statesman Journal has submitted a request under Oregon’s public records law for his application and resume.

Brown’s previous appointment to the board was controversial.

In September 2015, 10 state and national environmental groups formally protested the appointment of Marty Myers, general manager of Threemile Canyon Farms, one of the largest dairies in the nation, with about 70,000 animals.

The groups said the appointment represented a conflict of interest because the company seeks to influence legislation and agricultural policy for its financial benefit, and that Myers did not represent Oregon’s family farmers.

The 10-member board advises the Department of Agriculture on policy issues, develops recommendations on key agricultural matters, and provides advocacy for the state’s agriculture industry.

Harper will serve a four-year term.

tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/Tracy_Loew