Press release:
FSA COUNTY COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS START JUNE 15
Charles E. Zink, County Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Buncombe County, today announced farmer and rancher candidate nominations will begin Wednesday, June 15, 2016 for the Buncombe County Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee. The nomination period continues through Monday, August 1, 2016. FSA is accepting nominations for candidates to serve on the County Committee from the Alexander, Barnardsville, Jupiter, Reems Creek and Weaverville Communities (Area Two).
“I encourage all producers to participate in the county committee election process by nominating candidates by the August 1st deadline,” says Zink. “We are counting on as much participation as possible, because county committees are an important link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We have seen a trend in recent years of increased nominations of minority and women producers and we hope that will continue.”
Producers may also nominate themselves, and organizations representing minorities and females may also nominate candidates. To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A. The form to nominate a producer can be obtained by contacting the Madison/Buncombe County FSA Office at (828) 649-2712 or online. Additional information about FSA county committee elections are available online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=cce. Nomination forms for the 2016 election must be postmarked or received in the Madison/Buncombe County FSA Office by close of business on August 1, 2016.
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 in which the person is a candidate.
FSA county committee members make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other important agricultural issues. Members serve three-year terms. Nationwide, there are more than 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to five members who are elected by eligible local producers.
FSA will mail ballots to producers beginning Monday, November 7, 2016. The voted ballots are due back to the local county office either via mail or in person by Monday, December 5, 2016. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office January 1, 2017.
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