Sampson County USDA Farm Service Agency Executive Director S. Kettrell Strickland is offering a reminder to farmers and landowners that FSA is hosting an informational meeting regarding the 2016 County Committee Election process on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 1 p.m. at the Sampson County Cooperative Extension Livestock Arena located at 55 Agriculture Place in Clinton. Producers, including minority, women and new farmers, are encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the 2016 election.

The county committee nomination period ended on June 15, 2016. Nomination were to be postmarked or received in the County FSA Office by close of business by Aug. 1, 2016. These meeting will review the voting and the voting process.

For election purposes, counties are divided into local administrative areas (LAA). Each LAA nominates and elects one producer to serve a three-year term on the FSA County Committee.

Each year, an election is held in an LAA where a committee member’s three-year term is expiring. For 2016, an election will be held in LAA III, which includes Westbrook, Newton Grove, Herring, Halls, Piney Grove and North Clinton communities.

“Farmers and ranchers in LAA III are urged to participate in this year’s county committee elections,” said CED Strickland. “County Committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local level.”

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 LAA in which the person is a candidate.

Farmers and ranchers 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. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Nationwide, there are approximately 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. These individuals make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other agricultural issues. Committees consist of three to 11 members that are elected by eligible producers.

For more information, contact Kettrell Strickland at 910-592-4791, ext. 2,.

From Farm Service Agency