Local producers urged to serve on county committee

By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

August 26, 2004 - The county committee (COC) election process has begun and America's farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers are urged to nominate local producers to serve on United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committees, announced Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman.

Since the committee system was established in 1936, FSA COC's allow producers to elect representatives who administer federal farm programs at the local level. Being a part of the COC provides producers with a voice in farm program implementation.

Veneman has placed a specific emphasis on seeking minorities and women to become involved to insure the committees accurately reflect the demographics of the communities they serve.

Cather Marie Woods is a minority woman who is nominated to be a COC member in Houston County. Woods has been in the cattle and hay business in Houston County near Crockett for 11 years and she has completed three years of working with the County Committee Service.

"It's important for me to be on the committee to represent minorities and women," Woods said. "It's important that the committee can give people information on the needs of the community. It's the only way to get first-hand information on what's going on with the county."

Farmers who serve on COC's help to ensure FSA agricultural programs appropriately serve the needs of local producers. Committees make decisions on county commodity price-support loan eligibility, establishments of allotments and yields, conservation programs, disaster programs, employment and many other issues.

"I try to reach as many farmers as I can. But, my main focus is on minorities, women and limited resource farmers," Woods said. "I also encourage the people to use the National Resource Conservation Services (NRCS), their local Extension offices and the FSA."

The following are specific examples of persons who may be eligible to participate in the election process if they participate or cooperate in an FSA program: an owner, operator, tenant, or sharecropper; a spouse listed on the property deed; the spouse of an eligible voter in a community property state; a member of an Indian tribe holding agricultural land; a partner in a general partnership or member of a joint venture that has an interest in a farm as an owner, operator, tenant, or sharecropper; and someone who is not of legal voting age, but who supervises and conducts the farming operations on an entire farm.

Individuals may nominate themselves or others as a candidate. In addition, eligible candidates can be nominated by community-based organizations in the county before the close of the nomination period, especially groups representing socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. Nominations and elections are open to all eligible candidates and voters without regard to race, color, religions, national origin, age sex, marital status or disability.

"I will work on whatever needs my constituents need me to get done and I will inform them about the FSA," Woods said. "I just got finished working with EQUIP and we had the largest sign up for our county. It's a feasibility study made in different sections to find out what that county's needs are. Grass and soil nutrients were the greatest needs in Houston County."

September 3 is the last day to file nomination forms. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters on or before November 8. To receive a ballot by mail, voters must register with their local FSA offices by October 1. Eligible voters may also obtain ballots by visiting their local FSA offices. December 6 is the deadline to return ballots and elected committee members and alternates take office on January 1, 2005.

The nominee who receives the most votes becomes the COC member for a three-year term. The nominee who receives the second most votes becomes the first alternate to the elected COC member for a three-year term. The nominee who receives the third most votes becomes the second alternate to the elected COC member for a three-year term.