The nomination period for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees began on Monday, June 15, 2015. It is important for county committees to reflect America’s diversity, all eligible farmers and producers, including beginning farmers are encouraged to get involved in this year’s elections.

To be eligible to serve on a FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in an agency administered program, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area where they are nominated. For election purposes, counties are divided into local administrative areas, or LAA’s. Each LAA selects one producer to serve a three-year term on the FSA county committee. Each year, an election is held in an LAA to replace the committee member whose three-year term is expiring. In counties with three LAA’s, one seat is up for election. An election will be held for the Morrow County Committee position for LAA #1 that includes the townships Washington, North Bloomfield, Troy, Congress and Perry.

Farmers and producers may nominate themselves or others. Organizations representing minorities and women also may nominate candidates. To become a candidate, an eligible individual must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. Additional information about FSA county committee elections is available at the FSA office and online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. Nomination forms for the 2015 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 3, 2015.

FSA will mail election ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov. 9, 2015. Ballots will be due back to the local county office either via mail or in person by Dec. 7, 2015. Newly elected committee members and alternates will take office on Jan. 1, 2016.

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.

For more information, contact the Morrow County FSA office or visit the County Committee Elections website to learn more about the County Committee Election process at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.