FSA County Committee Nominations Open

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that farmer and rancher candidate nominations for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees are open. The nomination period continues through Monday, Aug. 2, with the election taking place between Friday, Nov. 5, and the close of business on Monday, Dec. 6.

To be eligible to serve on a FSA county committee a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate.

Producers may nominate themselves or others. To become a candidate, an eligible individual must sign the nomination form FSA-669A. The form and other information about county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. Nomination forms for the 2010 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 2.

FSA county committee members make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other important agricultural issues. Members serve three-year terms. Nationwide, there are about 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to 11 members who are elected by eligible producers. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office Jan. 1, 2011.