Brookville, IN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country.
To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Franklin County FSA office or postmarked by December 5, 2022.
“FSA county committee members provide valuable knowledge and judgment as decisions are made about the services we provide, including disaster and safety-net programs,” said Lisa Hollars, FSA executive director for Franklin County. “Please take a few minutes to review your ballot and make your selection prior to the December 5 deadline.”
Each committee has from three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office, and at least one seat is up for election each year for a certain Local Administrative Area (LAA).
Newly elected committee members will take office on January 1, 2023.
Franklin County committee members help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity, and disaster programs, and emergency programs and eligibility.
The nominee up for election in LAA 2, which includes Blooming Grove, Fairfield, Laurel, Metamora, and Posey townships in Franklin County is Daryl Kramer.
Kramer is nominated to serve as a committee member for a three-year term. Kramer resides in Blooming Grove and has produced corn and soybeans for 47 years.
He is an active member of Farm Bureau, Franklin County Area Plan, and a member of the Blooming Grove Fire Department.
Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the county committee election.
A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation but may not have applied for or received FSA program benefits.
Also, for county committee elections, producers who are not of legal voting age, but supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, are eligible to vote.
Producers can find out if their LAA is up for election and if they are eligible to vote by contacting their local FSA county office.
Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from their local FSA county office.
Visit fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information.
(Franklin County USDA Farm Service Agency press release)
