---

Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers have until August 1 to nominate eligible candidates to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees, announced Trisha McMonagle, County Executive Director of the Crow Wing-Cass USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The Crow Wing-Cass FSA Committee is urgently in need of a nomination for the northern area of Cass County (Local Administrative Area 5), which would include the following townships: Barclay, Beulah, Birch Lake, Blind Lake, Boy Lake, Boy River, Bull Moose, Crooked Lake, Deerfield, East and West Gould, Hiram, Inguadona, Kego, Leech Lake, Lima, McKinley, NW and NE Otter Tail Peninsula, Pike Bay, Pine Lake, Pine River, Ponto Lake, Powers, Remer, Rogers, Salem, North and South Shingobee, Slater, Smokey Hollow, North Trelipe, Thunder Lake, Torrey, North and South Turtle Lake, Wabedo, Woodrow, all Unorganized in the North half of Cass Co., Wahnena, and Wilkinson.

The Crow Wing-Cass County Committee is also seeking additional nominees for the Local Administrative Area 3, which includes the townships of Ansel, Becker, Bungo, Byron, Center, Home Brook, Lake Edward, Lake Shore, Poplar, North and South May, Meadow Brook, Moose Lake, and the City of Nisswa.

"The FSA County committees play a vital role in the administration of federal farm programs and the positive effect they have on rural communities," said McMonagle. FSA county committees make decisions on commodity price support loans, conservation programs, disaster programs, employing county executive directors and other significant agricultural issues. To hold office as a county committee member, 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 local administrative area (LAA) in which the person is a candidate. Individuals may nominate themselves or others as candidates. Additionally, organizations representing minorities and women may nominate candidates. All nominees must sign nomination form FSA-669A, which includes a statement that the nominee agrees to serve if elected. Form FSA-669A is available at USDA Service Centers and online at: http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eFormsAdmin/FSA0669A_130405V01.pdf. All nomination forms for the 2013 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on August 1, 2013.

Voting for the committee positions will take place in the fall. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters around November 4. The final day to return voted ballots to the local USDA Service Center is December 2. Newly elected county committee members take office January 1, 2014.

For more information about FSA county committees, visit a local USDA Service Center or online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=cce. Eligible agricultural producers may complete a nomination petition at the local Crow Wing-Cass County USDA FSA at 7118 Clearwater Road in Baxter, or call (218)829-5965.

[[In-content Ad]]

---