News : Farmers,ranchers encouraged to vote in FSA county committee elections

Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director John R Whitaker announced that the 2010 FSA county committee elections has begun with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 6, 2010.

"All eligible farmers and ranchers can make a difference by voting in this year's county committee elections," said Whitaker. "County committee members provide important input and make local decisions on the administration of the new disaster and conservation programs that fall under the 2008 Farm Bill. I particularly encourage minority and women producers to get involved. It is crucial that our county committees fairly represent the producers of a county."

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support loans and payments; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster payments for some commodities; emergency programs and payment eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm also may be eligible to vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate nominations during the nomination period, which ended on Aug. 2. Eligible voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can obtain ballots from their local USDA Service Center. December 6, 2010, is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than December 6, 2010. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office January 1, 2011.

Close to 7,900 FSA county committee members serve in the 2,244 FSA offices nationwide. Each committee consists of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Approximately one-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. More information on county committees, such as the new 2010 fact sheet and brochures, can be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA Service Center.