U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, for Tate & Desoto County, Darryl Waller wants to inform farmers and landowners that FSA is holding its 2021 County Committee elections on December 6. 2021. The first step in this process is for the County Office to accept nominations from each LAA that will be holding an election in the 2021. The county committee nomination period will begin on June 1, 2021. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received, in the Tate/Desoto County FSA office, by close of business on Aug. 2, 2021.
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 2021, an election will be held in LAA 1, which includes South East part of Tate County which includes Tyro, Thyatira, Looxahoma, Wyatte, and Senatobia areas; and in LAA 4 which includes the central part of Desoto County which is Hernando, Love, Bright, Nesbit, Pleasant Hill, and Southaven areas.
“Farmers and ranchers in LAA-1 and 4 are urged to participate in this year’s county committee elections by nominating candidates by the Aug. 2, 2021 deadline,” said Waller. “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.
The County office has a listing of all eligible voters, by LAA, for the counties just in case someone is unsure of their eligibility to vote or hold office. The County Office also has maps that show how the LAA’s are drawn off for each county. These are all available for anyone to review at the county office.
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. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received in the local USDA service center by close of business on Aug. 1, 2021.
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 who are elected by eligible producers.
