Farm Service county committee candidates announced

The Adams County Farm Service Agency has announced the following candidates have been nominated to serve on the Adams County Farm Service Agency Committee, representing Local Administrative Area (LAA) 3 for the upcoming three year term, to begin January 23, 2020.

Trish McRae

Trish (Schwartz) McRae grew up working on her family’s wheat, hay, and cattle ranch outside of Reardan, WA.  From a young age, her dad taught her that she could accomplish almost anything with a basic understanding of physics and a little luck.  She graduated from WSU with an Agriculture degree and minors in Ag Technology and Management and Horticulture.  

Trish is married to Luke McRae.  Together, they operate McRae Ranch with their four children (ages 6-11).  Trish’s ranch responsibilities include (but are not limited to) driving bank out wagon and combine during harvest, swathing, general tractor driving, and beef and sheep care and management. 

Trish is a member of P.E.O. Chapter AR, Friends of the Library, and a project leader for the Ritzville Livestock 4-H Club.  Trish previously filled the role of Female Advisor to the County Committee serving as an advocate for female farmers and ranchers in Adams County, and is currently completing her first elected term, serving as vice chair of the County Committee in 2019.

Brian Baumann

Brian Baumann is a fourth generation dryland and deep well irrigated farmer. He farms with his dad, David, on their family farm (DRJ Farm) in the Rattlesnake Flat area, located about half way between Washtucna and Lind. Brian and his wife, Megan, have three young children.

Brian is a third generation graduate of Washtucna High School and graduated from Whitworth University with a B.S. in Computer Science and B.A. in Mathematics. He is an Eagle Scout, completed the Agriculture and Forestry Leadership program – AgForestry - as a member of Class 38, served as a volunteer firefighter this past summer with Adams County Fire District 7, and is currently an elder at Washtucna Community Church. Brian noted, “One of the important aspects of the AgForestry program is its emphasis of being involved in your community. Serving as a County Committee member if elected is one way to give back to the community that has supported me throughout my entire life.”

Ballots will be mailed to all persons eligible to vote in LAA 1 during the first week of November, and are due to be returned, either in person to the USDA Service Center, Ritzville, or by US Mail, postmarked not later than December 2, 2019. Ballots will be tabulated on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. during the regular session meeting of the Adams County Committee. The meeting as well as ballot tabulation are open to the public. Thank you to each of the candidates for their willingness to serve the agricultural community of Adams County.