FSA is Accepting Nominations to local FSA County Committees The nomination period for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees began Sunday, June 15, 2014. To be eligible to serve on an 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 where the person is nominated. Farmers and ranchers may nominate themselves or others. Organizations representing minorities and women may also nominate candidates. To become a candidate, an eligible individual must sign the nomination form, FSA-669A. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. Nomination forms for the 2014 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 1, 2014. Elections will take place this fall. USDA's Farm Service Agency, in Marion/Winston will conduct an informational meeting regarding the 2014 County Committee Election process on July 15, 2014 and July 29, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at the Marion/Winston County Service Center. Producers, including minority, women, and beginning farmers, are encouraged to attend this meeting and participate in the FSA 2014 COC Election. Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in this meeting should contact Tim Malone on (voice phone # 205-921-3103), or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, and timothy.malone@al.usda.gov by July 10, 2014. For election purposes, counties are divided into local administrative areas, or LAAs. Each LAA contributes one producer to serve a three-year term on the Farm Service Agency County Committee. Most counties are divided into three LAAs. Combined counties may have three to five LAAs. Each year, an election is held in an LAA where a committee member's three-year term is expiring. In counties with three LAAs, one seat is up for election. In combined counties, two seats may be up for election. This varies among counties. This year an election will be held in LAA 2, which includes the communities of Bexar, Shottsville, Barnesville, Byrd, Pleasant Site, and Shiloh in Marion County. While FSA county committees do not approve or deny farm ownership or operating loans, they make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other 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 that are elected by eligible producers. FSA will mail ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov. 3, 2014. Ballots are due back to the local county office either via mail or in person by Dec. 1, 2014. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office on Jan. 1, 2015. Questions?
Please contact Tim Malone, County Executive Director, at 205-921-3103 ext.2, timothy.malone@al.usda.gov or for Farm Loans, please contact Jane Tanner, Acting Farm Loan Manager, at 256-974-1174 ext.4, jane.tanner@al.usda.gov. |
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). |
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