Nominations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee members are open. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally.
All nomination forms for the 2020 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1.
“I encourage America’s farmers, ranchers and forest stewards to nominate candidates to lead, serve and represent their community on their county committee,” Richard Fordyce, FSA administrator, said. “There’s an increasing need for diverse representation, including underserved producers, which includes beginning, women and minority farmers and ranchers.”
Farmers and ranchers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program, and reside in the LAA that is up for election this year, may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others, and organizations, including those representing beginning, women and minority producers, also may nominate candidates.
Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made of three to 11 members and typically meet once a month. Members serve three-year terms. Farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the agency.
Interested individuals should contact their local FSA office today to find out how to get involved in their county’s election. Check with your local USDA service center to see if your LAA is up for election this year.
To be considered, a farmer or rancher must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 2.
Click here to learn about important election dates.