About Us
Committees
CSA’s standing committees carry the association’s work forward — from seed certification and plant health to legislation, breeding, communications, and membership. Every one of them is open to members.
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Members
Committee service is open to every member company.
Not sure which committee fits?
Contact the CSA office
Overview
Structure and composition
CSA’s committees are where the association’s positions are formed and its programs are built. Section committees represent the major segments of the industry; standing committees handle legislation, communications, and membership across all of them.
Each committee meets at least once a year — most twice, around the Annual Convention and the Midyear Meeting — and each is chaired by a member. Several chairs sit on the Board of Directors as voting members.
Duties & Responsibilities
Committee function and purpose
Open a committee to read its duties
Section committee
Field Seed / Seed Certification / Turf Seed Committee
Plans and conducts at least two section membership meetings a year, plus special meetings as needed, to promote harmony and good public relations and to solve problems common to CSA members in field, certification, and turf seed.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Work with the Industry Communications and Youth Activities chair to solicit youth participation in field crop projects.
- Work with the Seed Industry Conference Planning Committee so field seed issues are adequately covered.
- Provide input to CSA staff on pesticide registration, so the chemicals the field seed industry requires stay available in California.
- Plan and carry out programs affecting the overall field section industry of California.
- Work with association officers and other committees to support the CSA Code of Ethics.
- Keep the Legislative Committee chair abreast of changes — current or projected — in laws and regulations, particularly in California.
- Appoint study groups to address subjects and problems specific to each type of field seed as the need arises.
- The chairperson serves automatically as a voting member of the CSA Board of Directors.
CCIA representation
The Board also appoints a committee member as CSA’s representative on the California Crop Improvement Association (CCIA) Board, serving up to four consecutive one-year terms — multiple terms are recommended for continuity. That representative coordinates seed certification activities for the Field Seed Section, which represents the industry interests affected by the distribution and sale of certified seed, maintains communication and accountability between CSA and CCIA, and reports developments to the section chair and association officers.
Section committee
Seed Dealers Committee
Meets at least once a year during the CSA Annual Convention, with an optional second meeting at the Midyear Meeting. Convention sessions run as problem-solving discussions or feature speakers on topics pertinent to seed dealers.
Duties and responsibilities:
- New products and services, and education about them.
- General business operations topics.
- Operational aspects of seed dealership specific to dealing in seed.
- Relationships and liaison between breeder-producers and seed dealers.
- Government regulations, statutes, and issues affecting seed dealers and agricultural suppliers — advising the Legislative Committee chair accordingly.
- Working with CSA officers and directors to support the CSA Code of Ethics.
Section committee
Vegetable / Flower Seed / Grower-Shipper Liaison & Plant Health Committee
Plans and conducts at least two section membership meetings a year, plus special meetings as needed, to promote harmony and good public relations and to solve problems common to CSA members.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Work with the Industry Communications and Youth Activities chair to solicit youth participation in vegetable crop projects.
- Work with the Seed Industry Conference Planning Committee so vegetable, flower seed, and plant health issues are adequately covered.
- Provide input to CSA staff on pesticide registrations for the vegetable and flower seed industry.
- Plan and carry out programs affecting the overall vegetable and flower seed industry of California.
- Work with association officers and other committees to support the CSA Code of Ethics.
- Keep the Legislative Committee chair abreast of changes — current or projected — in laws and regulations, primarily in California.
- The chairperson serves automatically as a voting member of the CSA Board of Directors.
Grower-shipper liaison & plant health
The committee maintains lines of communication between the seed industry and the vegetable grower and shipper community. CSA’s principal plant health activity has been working with county agricultural commissioners, grower-shipper associations, CDFA, and seed testing laboratories to promote an effective Lettuce Mosaic testing and control program. The committee continues to address other plant health issues, particularly seedborne diseases — and all matters involving the relationship between the vegetable/produce industry and the seed industry fall under its jurisdiction.
Research section
Plant Breeders & Biotechnology Committee
Established to provide close liaison between research personnel in university and college programs and those in CSA member firms, so public and private research can be channeled effectively toward improved field and vegetable seed crops.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Plan and carry out subject matter programs in connection with the CSA Annual Meeting.
- Serve as the program committee for its portion of the Seed Industry Conference program.
- Cooperate with the Field Seed/Seed Certification and Vegetable Seed sections on technical matters assigned to it.
- Maintain close contact with legislative programs and inform the Legislative chair of anything significant to public or private plant breeding.
Industry leadership on biotechnology
The committee provides industry leadership in all matters pertaining to biotechnology as it applies to plant life, and makes recommendations to the CSA Board on federal and state legislation and regulation — including research, development, and commercial release into the environment of plant life modified through genetically modified microorganisms. It handles transgenic variety distribution issues of concern to the membership, recommends educational program topics to increase member understanding, and develops public awareness programming to support acceptance of these technologies. The Research Section’s Administrative Council is composed of equal representatives from public and private breeders; chair and vice chair are chosen alternately from each, with the vice chair succeeding to the chair annually.
Standing committee
Legislative Committee
The work of this committee continues as the fundamental purpose of CSA. It concerns itself primarily with intrastate seed law and regulation, but the scale of California production makes federal law and legislation in other states equally mandatory business.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Study all proposed legislation that would affect the general membership.
- Advise the Board of Directors of any recommended action.
- Give suggestions, advice, and instructions to the delegates to the California Seed Council, who should be part of this committee.
- Work with the appropriate government legislative people in presenting the industry’s views on legislation and regulation.
- Maintain good relations with state enforcement personnel and the appropriate people at the State Department of Food and Agriculture.
Standing committee
Industry Communications & Youth Activities Committee
Serves as the industry’s voice to the general public — collaborating with agricultural and horticultural youth organizations to cultivate the next generation of agricultural operators, and raising public awareness of the seed industry’s contribution to agriculture.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Maintain good relations with UC Cooperative Extension, its 4-H representatives, and FFA groups and their supervising entities at state and local levels.
- Encourage youth groups through public recognition and awards, and encourage the whole CSA membership to be responsive to the needs of agriculturally oriented youth groups.
- Call meetings as necessary to sustain the objectives of the committee.
- Public relations: assist CSA staff in identifying topics and issues for press releases, opinion editorials, and letters to the editor in both mainstream and agricultural media.
- Host media events and tours to better inform the press about issues facing the seed industry.
Standing committee
Membership Committee
Chaired by the 1st Vice President with the 2nd Vice President as vice chair, and the Associate member of the Board chairing the Associate category. The committee retains current membership and recruits new members to strengthen CSA’s base.
Duties and responsibilities:
- Recognize that quantity in membership is important — and quality of membership is vital.
- Seek out membership among those active and participating directly in the seed industry.
- Seek out those in allied businesses for Associate Membership.
- Recommend proposed names for Board of Directors approval.
- Acknowledge new member sponsoring firms.
- Form a three-member club for those who sponsor three or more members, and provide incentives.
- Hold membership committee meetings at the convention and the midyear meeting.
Get Involved
Select a committee and sign up today
Committee service is how members shape CSA policy and programming. Tell us where your interests lie on the preference form, and the association office will connect you with the chair.
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