Nomination period open for FSA county committee seat

The nomination period for USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) County Committee is underway.

It is important that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA.

The 2019 election in Adams County will be conducted for the representative of Local Administrative Area (LAA) No. 3; which is all land south of Providence Road, extended East from Adams-Grant County line, continuing East at end of Providence Road along line dividing township 17 and township 16, to Whitman County line; South border, Franklin-Adams county line; East border, Whitman-Adams County line; West border, Adams-Grant line.

County committee members are a critical component of FSA operations. Committees should be comprised of members who reflect the diversity of producers involved in production agriculture. This means that producers representing underserved groups or communities should be on the committee to speak their behalf. Underserved groups, including beginning farmers, women and minority farmers and ranchers and land owners and/or operators who have limited resources and persons that have disabilities, are encouraged to consider being nominated to serve on the Committee. Eligible voters may also nominate themselves.

If you are in the LLA No. 3 area and are interested in running for County Committee, you will need to contact the office to fill out an FSA-699A form. The deadline to return the form is Aug. 1, 2019. The next County Committee meeting will be July 9, 2019 at 9 a.m. If you would like a better understanding of how County Committee works, please feel free to attend.

County Committee election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters on Nov. 4, 2019. The last day to return completed ballots to the County USDA service center is Dec. 2, 2019.

For more information on eligibility to serve on FSA county committees, please visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.