Nominations are currently open for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees play a crucial role in administering federal farm programs at the local level. The deadline for submitting nomination forms for the 2025 election is August 1, 2025.
Elections will take place in specific Local Administrative Areas (LAA), which may cover single or multiple counties and can include urban or suburban areas. Producers interested in participating can find their LAA using a geographic information system locator tool or by contacting their local FSA office.
To be eligible for nomination, agricultural producers must either participate or cooperate in a USDA program and reside in an LAA that is up for election this year. A cooperating producer is defined as someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, regardless of whether they have applied for or received program benefits.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others, and qualifying organizations are also encouraged to submit nominations. The USDA urges all eligible producers to engage by nominating candidates, voting, and holding office.
Across the nation, over 7,700 members of the agriculture community serve on FSA county committees. These committees consist of three to eleven members serving three-year terms. They are instrumental in delivering disaster recovery, conservation, commodity and price support programs, as well as making decisions on county office employment and other agricultural issues.
In urban areas, FSA county committees work to promote emerging agricultural production practices such as urban and indoor farming. Urban committee members are nominated and elected by local urban producers within the same jurisdiction. Their role includes outreach to ensure urban producers understand USDA programs and assisting in implementing programs that meet the needs of growing urban communities.
Producers interested in participating should contact their local FSA office to register and learn how to get involved in their county’s election process. To be considered for nomination, a producer must be registered and submit a signed nomination form available through FSA offices.
