FSA County Committee Elections Due by December 4

The Farm Service Agency sent out ballots this week to participants in their programs to elect the new county committee members.

Chris Bieker said these committees impact the farmers’ bottom line.

“In a very diverse state like Washington State where we’ve got different kinds of agriculture, different kinds of climate, the decisions the county committees make can be very important in terms of farmers payments.”

The committees also hear appeals of FSA decisions and determine prices for fencing and crops.

Committee members are paid for the time which includes regular meetings to make these critical decisions.

Bieker said, “These committees which are made up of 3-5 individuals represent farmers and ranchers at a local level.”

Voters must be of legal voting age and be either a participant in an FSA program or USDA program with their farm listed with the FSA. The deadline for ballots is December 4^th.

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