The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the Farm Service Agency county committee nomination period has opened. The USDA is encouraging farmers and ranchers to nominate candidates to lead, serve and represent their community on their local county committee.

This year, nominations and elections for Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County will be held in local administrative area LAA 3, which includes Greene, Leeds, Wales, Livermore Falls, Lewiston and Sabattus. Also, this year nominations and elections for Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County will be held in local administrative area LAA 4, which includes Richmond and Bowdoin.

Nominations and elections for Oxford County will be held in local administrative area 3, which includes West Paris, Sumner, Hartford, Buckfield, Paris, Hebron, Oxford and Otisfield.

To be considered, a producer must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections, or from the Androscoggin-Sagadahoc County FSA office. All nomination forms for the 2018 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2018. Visit farmers.gov for more information.

Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning Nov. 5, 2018. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov/news-room/county-committee-elections/index.

This year, nominations and elections for Oxford County will be held in local administrative area 3, which includes West Paris, Sumner, Hartford, Buckfield, Paris, Hebron, Oxford and Otisfield.