The election of local farmers and ranchers to Farm Service Agency county committees is important in giving producers a voice in how federal farm programs and services are administered in their local areas.
It also maintains a direct link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FSA is accepting nominations from qualified candidates until Aug. 1. Producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program may be nominated.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others as a candidate. In addition, organizations representing socially disadvantaged (minorities and women) groups may nominate candidates.
Candidate are being solicited for Marion County Local Administrative Area No. 1, which is made up of Blaine, Clark, Colfax, Clear Creek, Durham Park, Logan, Lost Springs, and Moore townships.
The candidate that is elected in the fall will join committee members from other local administrative township areas to comprise the 2008 Marion County FSA Committee, which administers federal agricultural production, farm loan, conservation and emergency programs.
These locally elected farmer committees serve staggered three-year terms.
The form FSA-669A, Nomination Form for County Farm Service Agency Committee Election, is available in any county FSA office or may be obtained electronically at http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov.
Each form submitted must be limited to one nominee, signed and dated by the nominee and delivered to the proper county FSA office or postmarked no later than the Aug. 1 deadline.
Any producer residing in the County FSA Committee jurisdiction may nominate an eligible candidate.
For those wanting to learn more about the FSA county committee nomination and election processes, a brief informational meeting is planned for 9:30 a.m., Monday, June 18, in the Marion County USDA Service Center conference room at 301 Eisenhower St. in Marion.
At this meeting, nomination forms and fact sheets will be provided and election criteria and policies will be discussed.
Bill Harmon is executive director of the Marion County FSA office.
