SKOWHEGAN — USDA Farm Service Agency County Executive Director Elaine S. Moceus, reminds farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers they have until Friday, Jan. 17, to return completed ballots to FSA. Eligible voters who have not received a ballot can obtain one from their local USDA Service Center. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Jan. 17.

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and 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 Aug. 1.