SOUTH PARIS — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country.

To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Oxford County FSA office or postmarked by Monday, Dec. 6.

“FSA county committee members provide valuable knowledge and judgment as decisions are made about the services we provide, including disaster and safety-net programs,” said Marcia Hall, county executive director for Oxford County, according to a news release from the agency.

Each committee has from three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office, and at least one seat is up for election each year for a certain Local Administrative Area. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2022.

Toby Whitman is the nominee up for election in LAA3, which includes West Paris, Paris, Oxford, Hebron, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner in Oxford County.

Whitman is nominated to re-serve as a committee member for another three-year term. Whitman resides in West Paris and has produced crops and livestock for several years.

He is an active member of Farm Service Agency and serves as chairperson of the county committee.

Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the election. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation but may not have applied or received FSA program benefits. Also, for county committee elections, producers who are not of legal voting age, but supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, are eligible to vote.

Producers can find out if their LAA is up for election and if they are eligible to vote by contacting their local FSA county office. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from their local FSA county office. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.