RCW 15.65.020 Definitions.

The following terms are hereby defined:

(1) "Affected commodity" means that part or portion of any agricultural commodity which is covered by or forms the subject matter of any marketing agreement or order or proposal, and includes all affected units thereof as herein defined and no others.

(2) "Affected parties" means any producer, affected producer, handler, or commodity board member.

(3) "Affected unit" means in the case of marketing agreements and orders drawn on the basis of a production area, any unit of the commodity specified in or covered by such agreement or order which is produced in such area and sold or marketed or delivered for sale or marketing; and "affected unit" means, in the case of marketing agreements and orders drawn on the basis of marketing area, any unit of the commodity specified in or covered by such agreement or order which is stored in frozen condition or sold or marketed or delivered for sale or marketing within such marketing area: PROVIDED, That in the case of marketing agreements "affected unit" shall include only those units which are produced by producers or handled by handlers who have assented to such agreement.

(4) "Agricultural commodity" means any of the following commodities or products: Llamas, alpacas, or any other animal or any distinctive type of agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, floricultural, vegetable, or animal product, including, but not limited to, products qualifying as organic products under chapter 15.86 RCW and private sector cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW 15.85.020 and other fish and fish products, either in its natural or processed state, including beehives containing bees and honey and Christmas trees but not including timber or timber products. The director is hereby authorized to determine (on the basis of common usage and practice) what kinds, types or sub-types should be classed together as an agricultural commodity for the purposes of this chapter.

(5) "Assessment" means the monetary amount established in a marketing order or agreement that is to be paid by each affected producer to a commodity board in accordance with the schedule established in the marketing order or agreement.

(6) "Commercial quantities" as applied to producers and/or production means such quantities per year (or other period of time) of an agricultural commodity as the director finds are not less than the minimum which a prudent person engaged in agricultural production would produce for the purpose of making such quantity of such commodity a substantial contribution to the economic operation of the farm on which such commodity is produced. "Commercial quantities" as applied to handlers and/or handling means such quantities per year (or other period of time) of an agricultural commodity or product thereof as the director finds are not less than the minimum which a prudent person engaged in such handling would handle for the purpose of making such quantity a substantial contribution to the handling operation in which such commodity or product thereof is so handled. In either case, the director may in his or her discretion: (a) Determine that substantial quantity is any amount above zero; and (b) apply the quantity so determined on a uniform rule applicable alike to all persons which he or she finds to be similarly situated.

(7) "Commodity board" means any board established pursuant to RCW 15.65.220. "Board" means any such commodity board unless a different board is expressly specified.

(8) "Cooperative association" means any incorporated or unincorporated association of producers which conforms to the qualifications set out in the act of congress of the United States of February 18, 1922 as amended, known as the "Capper-Volstead Act" and which is engaged in making collective sales or in marketing any agricultural commodity or product thereof or in rendering service for or advancing the interests of the producers of such commodity on a nonprofit cooperative basis.

(9) "Department" means the department of agriculture of the state of Washington.

(10) "Director" means the director of agriculture of the state of Washington or his or her duly appointed representative. The phrase "director or his or her designee" means the director unless, in the provisions of any marketing agreement or order, he or she has designated an administrator, board, or other designee to act in the matter designated, in which case "director or his or her designee" means for such order or agreement the administrator, board, or other person(s) so designated and not the director.

(11) "Handler" means any person who acts, either as principal, agent or otherwise, in processing, selling, marketing or distributing an agricultural commodity or storage of a frozen agricultural commodity which was not produced by him or her. "Handler" does not mean a common carrier used to transport an agricultural commodity. "Affected handler" means any handler of an affected commodity. "To handle" means to act as a handler.

(12) "List of affected handlers" means a list containing the names and addresses of affected handlers. This list shall contain the names and addresses of all affected handlers and, if requested by the director, the amount, by unit, of the affected commodity handled during a designated period under this chapter.

(13) "List of affected parties" means a list containing the names and mailing addresses of affected parties. This list shall contain the names and addresses of all affected parties and, if requested by the director, the amount, by unit, of the affected commodity produced during a designated period under this chapter.

(14) "List of affected producers" means a list containing the names and mailing addresses of affected producers. This list shall contain the names and addresses of all affected producers and, if requested by the director, the amount, by unit, of the affected commodity produced during a designated period under this chapter.

(15) "Mail" or "send" for purposes of any notice relating to rule making, referenda, or elections means regular mail or electronic distribution, as provided in RCW 34.05.260 for rule making. "Electronic distribution" or "electronically" means distribution by electronic mail or facsimile mail.

(16) "Marketing agreement" means an agreement entered into and issued by the director pursuant to this chapter.

(17) "Marketing order" means an order adopted by the director under this chapter that establishes a commodity board for an agricultural commodity or agricultural commodities with like or common qualities or producers.

(18) "Member of a cooperative association" means any producer who markets his or her product through such cooperative association and who is a voting stockholder of or has a vote in the control of or is a party to a marketing agreement with such cooperative association with respect to such product.

(19) "Percent by numbers" means the percent of those persons on the list of affected parties or affected producers.

(20) "Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, trust, association, partnership, society, or any other organization of individuals, or any unit or agency of local, state, or federal government.

(21) "Producer" means any person engaged in the business of producing any agricultural commodity for market in commercial quantities. "Affected producer" means any producer who is subject to a marketing order or agreement. "To produce" means to act as a producer. For the purposes of RCW 15.65.140 and 15.65.160 as now or hereafter amended "producer" shall include bailees who contract to produce or grow any agricultural product on behalf of a bailor who retains title to the seed and its resulting agricultural product or the agricultural product delivered for further production or increase.

(22) "Producer-handler" means any person who acts both as a producer and as a handler with respect to any agricultural commodity. A producer-handler shall be deemed to be a producer with respect to the agricultural commodities which he or she produces, and a handler with respect to the agricultural commodities which he or she handles, including those produced by himself or herself.

(23) "Producer marketing" or "marketed by producers" means any or all operations performed by any producer or cooperative association of producers in preparing for market and marketing, and shall include: (a) selling any agricultural commodity produced by such producer(s) to any handler; (b) delivering any such commodity or otherwise disposing of it for commercial purposes to or through any handler.

(24) "Production area" and "marketing area" means any area defined as such in any marketing order or agreement in accordance with RCW 15.65.350. "Affected area" means the marketing or production area so defined in such order, agreement or proposal.

(25) "Represented in a referendum" means that a written document evidencing approval or assent or disapproval or dissent is duly and timely filed with or mailed to the director by or on behalf of an affected producer and/or a volume of production of an affected commodity in a form which the director finds meets the requirements of this chapter. "Referendum" means a vote by the affected parties or affected producers which is conducted by secret ballot.

(26) "Rule-making proceedings" means the rule-making provisions as outlined in chapter 34.05 RCW.

(27) "Section" means a section of this chapter unless some other statute is specifically mentioned. The present includes the past and future tenses, and the past or future the present. The masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter. The singular number includes the plural and the plural includes the singular.

(28) "Sell" includes offer for sale, expose for sale, have in possession for sale, exchange, barter or trade.

(29) "Unit" of an agricultural commodity means a unit of volume, weight, quantity, or other measure in which such commodity is commonly measured. The director shall designate in each marketing order and agreement the unit to be used therein.

(30) "Vacancy" means that a board member leaves or is removed from a board position prior to the end of a term, or a nomination process for the beginning of a term concludes with no candidates for a position.

(31) "Volume of production" means the percent of the average volume of production of the affected commodity of those on the list of affected parties or affected producers for a production period. For the purposes of this chapter, a production period is a minimum three-year period or as specified in the marketing order or agreement.

[ 2011 c 103 § 23. Prior: 2009 c 549 § 1007; 2002 c 313 § 1; 1993 c 80 § 2; 1986 c 203 § 15; prior: 1985 c 457 § 13; 1985 c 261 § 1; 1975 1st ex.s. c 7 § 2; 1961 c 256 § 2.]

NOTES:

Purpose—2011 c 103: See note following RCW 15.26.120.

Effective dates—2002 c 313: "This act takes effect July 1, 2002, except for sections 1, 15, 17, 29, 30, 39, 45, 57, 58, 137, and 138 of this act which are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and take effect immediately [April 2, 2002]." [ 2002 c 313 § 139.]