The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency announced last week that FSA local offices are now accepting nominations for membership on the county committees that make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally.

All nomination forms for the 2022 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2022.

“It is a priority for USDA to integrate equity into its decision-making and policymaking, and that starts with our local FSA county committees,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said in a news release.

“We need enthusiastic, diverse leaders to serve other agricultural producers on these committees as we work to build equitable systems and programming inclusive of all employees and all of our customers. I ask that you consider making a difference in your community by nominating yourself, or another agricultural producer, to serve on your local FSA county committee.”

Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees, FSA noted.

The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. “Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues,” FSA said.

The 2018 farm bill directed USDA to form urban county committees as well as make other advancements related to urban agriculture, including the establishment of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. FSA established county committees specifically focused on urban agriculture.

The following urban and suburban county committees will hold elections this year: Phoenix, Atlanta, New Orleans, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis, Albuquerque, N.M., Cleveland, Portland, Ore., Philadelphia, Dallas and Richmond, Va.

USDA recently announced six new urban county committees in Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Oakland. Elections will be held for these locations at a later date.