WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson has announced that the 2011 FSA county committee elections began, Nov. 4, with USDA mailing ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 5.

Nelson said, “New county committee members provide input and make important decisions on the local administration of disaster and conservation programs. With better participation in recent years, we have also seen promising increases in the number of women and minority candidates, helping to better represent the richness of American agriculture. ”

County committee members provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate nominations during the nomination period, which ended on Aug. 1.

Eligible voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can obtain ballots from their local USDA Service Center. Dec. 5 is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA service centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 5. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2012.

More information on county committees is available at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA service center.