When was the PRBA organized?

What is the background and purpose of PRBA?

Does the PRBA have fulltime employees and who carries out the administrative duties at the direction of the Officers and Board of Directors?

How does the negotiation process work on the price the grower is to receive?

When are the Annual meetings and Board meetings held?

When was the PRBA organized?
The Perennial Ryegrass Bargaining Association was organized in August 1994. After six months of discussion, preliminary organization and its short and long range objectives, a Board of Directors and Officers were elected in February 1995.

What is the background and purpose of PRBA?
To negotiate a reasonable grower price for the members of PRBA producing the improved varieties of turf type perennial ryegrass under seed production contacts with the various Oregon seed dealers.

Background:
The average price paid to growers for the 1994 crop year was 41 cents per lb. on certified seed, free of coarse grasses, poa annua and bentgrass seed. The grower price had seen a price reduction from 52 cents per lb. to 41 cents per lb. in six years, 1988 through 1994, with the movement increasing in the market from 100 million lbs. in 1988 to 175 million lbs. in 1994, a 75% increase, with a grower price reduction of 21%.

This reduction in the average grower price of 11 cents per lb. resulted in the grower price being 7 cents per lb. less than the average cost of production of the seed grower. Seed growers were losing an average of $90 to $100 per acre due to market instability and the manner of marketing by the Oregon seed industry.

Consequently, in August 1994, a group of ninety (90) growers representing 28,000 acres (40,000,000 lbs.) of turf type perennial ryegrass seed being produced under various seed production contacts (agreements) formed the PRBA.

Does the PRBA have fulltime employees and who carries out the administrative duties at the direction of the Officers and Board of Directors?

In February 1995 the Board of Directors arranged an agreement with J. L. Carnes & Associates, Salem, Oregon to perform the administrative responsibilities of the PRBA on a yearly contract. Under this arrangement it would not be necessary for the PRBA to open an office, hire employees, invest in fixed equipment such as computers, vehicles, etc. This arrangement has continued with Jim Carnes, J. L. Carnes & Associates serving as the Executive Director of PRBA.

While J. L. Carnes & Associates takes care of all accounting and administrative responsibilities, the President, Vice President and Secretary of PRBA are the only ones authorized to sign PRBA checks. All checks must be signed by two PRBA Officers.

How does the negotiation process work on the price the grower is to receive?

In the beginning, 1995 through 2000, the negotiations of price each crop year were made by contact with each individual seed dealer, with the final price agreed to and an agreement signed by the individual seed dealer and the PRBA.

In 1995 the PRBA established the price negotiations on the benchmark standard of quality “TournamenT® Quality.” (Link to TournamenT® Quality.)

In 1998 the PRBA received a registered trade mark from the U S Department of Commerce for the TournamenT® Quality mark to be used in the marketing of turf grass seed in compliance with the U S “Intellectual Property Rights.”

Since the crop year of 2001 the price negotiations for each crop year have been in the forum of the perennial ryegrass seed Bargaining Council under the supervision of the Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. (Link to Bargaining Council and Bargaining Council Minutes.)

When are the Annual meetings and Board meetings held?

Annual meetings are held each January or February at the Linn County Fair & Conference Center, Albany, Oregon. (Link to Minutes of Annual Meeting.)

Board meetings have been on a monthly basis until the past year, the Board has determined that monthly Board meetings are no longer necessary, and are now held every two or three months. All Board meetings are open to PRBA members. If you wish to attend the next Board Meeting, contact the Executive Director. (Link to Minutes of Board Meetings)

Additional information on the PRBA web page:

PRBA Articles of Incorporation
PRBA Bylaws
PRBA Membership Grower Agreement

Should you have additional questions, contact the PRBA Office, Phone (503) 378-0195 or email: prba@teleport.com