County FSA announces open meeting

By Staff Reports

The Carter County Farm Service Agency will hold an open-door meeting from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 17.

The public and all agricultural producers in the county are invited to attend and hear information about the County Committee Election and all current FSA programs.

The FSA County Office Committees are farmer-elected and a critical component of FSA operations. The COCs are made up of three to five members and elected from Local Administrative Areas. These areas equally represent the county or counties located in the Service Center.

Carter County will hold an election in LAA-2 for 2012. The communities represented in the election are located on the western side of the county and include Central, Toll Branch Road, Dry Branch Road, Rock House Road, Powder Branch and most of Gap Creek Road.

To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign nomination form FSA-669A. The form includes a statement that the nominee agrees to serve if elected. The form is available from the Carter County FSA office at 419 E. Elk Ave., Elizabethton, or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/fsa0669a_committeeelectform.pdf.

Nomination forms for the election must be received be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 1.

Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program may be nominated by the county committee. Individuals may nominate themselves or others. Additional, organizations representing minority or women farmers or ranchers may nominate candidates. Nomination forms are filed for the county committee of the officer that administers a producer’s farm records.

For more information, call FSA at 542-2341.