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FSA County Committee Members Urge Rural Media to Help Secretary Vilsack Publicize the Process
WASHINGTON (RuralWire), June 8, 2010 – Craig Turner, President of the National Association of Farmer Elected Committees (NAFEC) encourages all farmers, ranchers, landowners and other participants in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs to participate in the upcoming nominations and elections of FSA County Committees.
“For three quarters of a century, farmers have had the opportunity and the duty to nominate and elect producers to serve on their local FSA County Committee,” explained Turner, a farmer and rancher from Matador, Texas.
“County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. Farmers and ranchers who serve on county committees work hand-in-hand to help our FSA county office employees deliver FSA farm programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on: commodity price support loans and payments; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster payments for some commodities; emergency programs and payment eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.”
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has provided short and concise recorded and text versions of public service announcements (PSAs) that explain the nomination and election process in English and Spanish. Links to these PSAs may be found at; http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=psa
“NAFEC is dedicated to assisting Secretary Vilsack, Deputy Secretary Merrigan and FSA Administrator Coppess to ensure that all farmers and ranchers are included in the fair and equitable delivery of FSA programs,” explaines(ed) Turner. “To appropriately do so, we need all FSA program participants to engage in this critical process of nominating and electing our County Committees to ensure all voices are heard. Please participate in this critical endeavor.”
“We also ask for all of our rural media – the local farm radio stations, the rural local newspapers, the agriculture trade journals and anyone that can help get the word out, to assist us by using the Secretary’s PSAs on FSA County Committee nominations and elections. (30)
The National Association of Farmer Elected Committees is a non-profit organization composed of and led by farmers, nominated and elected by farmers, and serving all farmers in each of their county USDA Farm Service Agency offices. To learn more about NAFEC or to join please go to http://fsacountycommittees.org |
