MCFB's Board of Directors must include a President and Secretary as Board Officers, and no less than one additional Board Director. The Board of Directors may choose to elect a Vice-President and Treasurer as additional Board Officers, and up to eight additional Board Directors. In addition, if there is a county Women's Committee and/or a Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, the Chair of each committee shall be a voting member of the Board of Directors.
Board Officers are elected by Voting Members each year at the Annual MCFB Meeting (see Board Meetings). Other Board Directors, also elected at the Annual MCFB Meeting, serve staggered terms of two years. Only full MCFB Voting Members can serve on the Board of Directors. In addition to the Annual MCFB Meeting, the Board of Directors normally meets seven times throughout each year (see Board Meetings).
Board packets and minutes can be found on the Documents page.
Al Garre - Board Director
Al’s grandfather started the family farm in northeast Portland in 1920. Al took over the operation in 1984. The family farm has always grown fresh market vegetables. Since Al entered semi-retirement in 2018, the farm has produced a small amount of herbs. Al became an MCFB member when he took over the farm in 1984. It was around that same time that he joined the MCFB Board. His current term as a Board Director expires in 2020. Al has always tried to actively support OFB and MCFB but feels he has gotten more out of the organization than he has given to it. It is Al’s firm belief that OFB and MCFB do more for family farms than any other group. Al received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1971 from Oregon State University.
Barry Bushue - Board Director
Barry is a prominent figure in Oregon's agricultural and natural resource sectors, with a career spanning over 25 years. He currently serves as the State Director for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Oregon and Washington, overseeing the stewardship of 16.1 million acres of public lands across the Pacific Northwest. Before joining the BLM, Bushue was the State Executive Director of the Oregon Farm Service Agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he managed federal agricultural programs across the state. Bushue is perhaps best known for his nearly two-decade tenure as President of the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, where he championed the interests of farmers and ranchers statewide. He also served as Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation from 2008 to 2015, representing agricultural interests at the national level. In addition to his public service, Bushue operates a family-owned farm and agritourism business in Boring, Oregon, alongside his wife, Helen. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Oregon State University. Barry re-joined the MCFB Board in late 2024.
Deniece Tucker - Treasurer/Secretary
Deniece was born and raised on her family’s farm located east of Troutdale near the Sandy River. The property was homesteaded in 1853 and has been farmed since 1952. Deniece and her family historically raised cattle and grew raspberries but converted to growing nursery stock in 2001 due to market changes. A member of the Multnomah County Farm Bureau since 1999, Deniece joined the Board of Directors in 2000 and has served as the Board President (2007-2008) and Vice-President (2009-2018). Deniece is currently serving as the Board Treasurer. Deniece holds an associate’s degree in accounting, is an Oregon licensed tax consultant, and is a federally licensed tax agent.
Genevieve Rossi - Board Director
Genevieve, a fifth-generation member of Rossi Farms in northeast Portland, currently leads the active management of all farm operations alongside her father Joe and sister Gabrielle. The farm, with a rich history, has been producing and distributing fresh vegetables for sale in the Portland Metro area since her ancestors arrived from Italy. As an urban farm, it also serves as an event space and offers farm tours. Engaging with the community and the neighboring Parkrose school are traditions that have been maintained throughout all five generations of the Rossi family. Located in an urban environment, the farm serves as a window into agriculture for the state. Genevieve is proud to join her family’s tradition of being members of the Multnomah County Farm Bureau and multi-generation directors for over 50 years.
Helen Bushue - Board Director
Helen and her husband, Barry, own and operate a small family farm east of Orient. Farm production includes greenhouse flowers, u-pick strawberries, and a fall pumpkin patch (with associated agritourism activities). Helen has been an MCFB member since 1988, served as the county Secretary and Treasurer for 25 years, and is now serving as a Board Director. Helen obtained a Bachelor of Education from Adelaide College of Advanced Education.
Joe Rossi - Board Director
Joe is a fourth-generation farmer from northeast Portland. He currently farms alongside his daughter Genevieve. He passionately maintains the farm’s history and frequently discusses agriculture’s significant and evolving role in our city. Joe often recounts how the farm acquired land from the Powell pioneer family at the turn of the century, horses were sourced from the local Native Americans, and how mechanization gradually replaced the tasks performed by the farm’s horses. Joe and his family have been dedicated members of the Multnomah County Farm Bureau for over five decades. Currently, he represents Multnomah County at the State Conventions and the State of Oregon at the national level. Joe has immense gratitude that both his daughters share his passion for farming, family, and history. His oldest daughter, Gabrielle, now in Washington DC, works in the Department of Agriculture. His youngest daughter, Genevieve, now leads the family farm operations.
Larry Bailey - President
A native Oregonian, Larry comes from a farming family. His grandparents farmed in North Dakota and then in Amity, Oregon. Larry grew up farming duck lakes outside Amity with his uncle. He and his wife, Angi Bailey, have owned and operated Verna Jean Nursery east of Gresham since 2005. At Verna Jean Nursery, they grow and sell Japanese Maples at all stages of development, from seeds to seedlings to grafted liners to finished nursery stock. Larry has been a Farm Bureau Member since 2005 and joined the MCFB Board in 2009. Larry was elected the MCFB Board President in 2018. In addition to having a farming background, Larry brings an extensive educational background to MCFB, including a B.S. in Applied Science/Chemistry from George Fox University and University of Washington, B.S. in Chemical Engineering/Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.
Matt Gallant – Board Director
Matt comes from a long line of farm families. His great grandparents farmed in Ontario, Canada. His grandparents farmed in northern Minnesota, prior to moving to Oregon in 1948 and purchasing a small farm in outer SE Portland. Matt’s parents purchased their current farm in Boring in 1978.They grew strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, and marionberries. As Matt’s Dad began retiring in the early 2000s, Matt began operating the farm. He transitioned it to beef cattle, grass hay, alfalfa, wheat, oats, and pumpkins. Currently the farm is owned and operated by Matt, his wife Ann, and their youngest four sons Ethan, Cole, Dane, and Matthew. Oldest son, Riley, is presently farming in Central Oregon. Prior to returning to the family farm, Matt received a degree in Mechanical Engineering and spent 13 years as a construction project engineer on numerous power plant and renewable fuel projects across the US and China. Matt started his term as a MCFB Board Director in 2023. He feels that Farm Bureau is an important organization that represents all farmers and strives to preserve and enhance all facets of agriculture.
Scott Reed - Board Director
Scott and his wife, Stacy, own and operate Springwood Acres farm in the northwest hills of Portland. The Reeds with their four children maintain flocks of pastured raised laying hens and a breeding herd of Boer goats. Scott obtained a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Davis in 1999. In 2021, he was elected to the MCFB Board Directors.