Nominations are currently being accepted through Aug. 1 for two positions to be filled in this year’s local Farm Service Agency County Committee election. The Local Administrative Areas (LAA) up for representation on the Lincoln/Franklin Area County Committee this year are LAA No. 3, which is primarily made up of the communities in the southwestern third of Lincoln County and LAA No. 5, which is primarily all the communities in the southern half of Franklin County.

To be eligible for nomination, 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 as candidates, and organizations representing minorities and women may also nominate candidates. To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A, indicating their willingness to serve if elected. The form and other valuable information about the FSA county committee elections can be requested by mail, picked up at the FSA County Office in Brookhaven or can be found online at fsa.usda.gov/elections. Nomination forms for the 2014 election must be postmarked or received in the FSA County Office in Brookhaven by close of business on Aug. 1.

The actual election will take place this fall. FSA will mail ballots to eligible voters in LAA No. 3 and LAA No. 5 beginning Nov. 3. Voted ballots must be returned to the FSA County Office in Brookhaven by mail or in person by Dec. 1. The newly elected members and alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2015, and serve three-year terms.

While FSA County Committees do not approve or deny farm-operating loans, they make critical decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other agricultural issues and are a vital link between the local farmers and FSA. Nationwide, about 7,700 producer-elected farmers and ranchers serve on FSA County Committees.

In an effort to better inform agricultural producers in our area about the nomination and election process and available FSA programs, a public meeting will be held on July 9 at 1 p.m., in the USDA Service Center Conference Room in Brookhaven.

For more information on this public meeting or any FSA program, contact the Farm Service Agency at 833-9321, Ext. 2, or come by the USDA office at 1395 Johnny Johnson Drive, Suite A, in Brookhaven.