Farm Service Agency Now Accepting Nominations for Farmers to Serve on Local County Committees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting nominations for county committee members for elections that will occur later this year. Additionally, USDA’S Farm Service Agency (FSA) is unveiling a new GIS tool to make it easier for producers to participate in the nomination and election processes for county committee members, who make important decisions on how federal farm programs are administered locally. Customers can locate their LAA through a new GIS locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.

All nomination forms for the 2023 election must be postmarked or received in the FSA County office by Aug. 1, 2023.

Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAS are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction and they may include LAAS that are focused on an urban or suburban area.

Agricultural producers may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee if they:

Participate or cooperate in a USDA program; and

Reside in the LAA that is up for election this year.

A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits. Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages minority producers, women and beginning farmers to nominate, vote and hold office.

Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues.

Urban and Suburban County Committees

The 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to form urban county committees as well as make other advancements related to urban agriculture, including the establishment of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.

FSA established county committees specifically focused on urban agriculture. The urban county committees will work to encourage and promote urban, indoor and other emerging agricultural production practices. Additionally, the new county committees may address areas such as food access, community engagement, support of local activities to promote and encourage community compost and food waste reduction.

Urban committee members are nominated and elected to serve by local urban producers in the same jurisdiction. Urban county committee members will provide outreach to ensure urban producers understand USDA programs and serve as the voice of other urban producers and assist in program implementation that support the needs of the growing urban community.

County committees for urban agriculture are located in 17 cities across the U.S. including Cleveland, Ohio. Producers should contact their local FSA office today to register and find out how to get involved in their county’s election, including if their LAA is up for election this year. To be considered, a producer must be registered and sign an FSA-669A nomination form. Urban farmers should use an FSA-669-A-3 for urban county committees. Nomination forms and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa. usda.gov/elections.

Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 6, 2023.