On Monday, November 7, 2022, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began mailing ballots, for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) County and Urban County Committee elections, to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the Country.
Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members, who make important decisions about how Federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA County office, or have their ballots postmarked by Monday, December 5, in order for those ballots to be counted.
Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the County Committee election. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation, but who may not have applied for or received FSA program benefits. Additionally, producers who are not of legal voting age but supervise and conduct farming operations for an entire farm are eligible to vote in these elections.
Each committee has from three-to-five elected members who serve three-year terms, and at least one seat representing a LAA is up for election each year. Ballots must be in the mail or delivered in person by close of business December 5, to be counted. Newly elected committee members will take office Saturday, January 1, 2023.
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. Visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find your local USDA Service Center and fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information.
Urban and Suburban County Committees
The 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to establish County Committees specifically focused on urban agriculture.
Urban committee members are nominated and elected to serve by local urban producers in the same jurisdiction. Urban County Committee members will provide outreach, to ensure urban producers understand USDA programs, and serve as the voice of other urban producers. They also will assist in program implementation that supports the needs of the growing urban community.
Urban and suburban County Committees in the following cities will hold elections this year: Phoenix, AZ; Atlanta, GA; New Orleans, LA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; St. Louis, MO; Albuquerque, NM; Cleveland, OH; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX; Richmond, VA. These elections will serve local urban producers in the same jurisdiction. A fact sheet on the urban County Committee election and a list of eligible cities can be found at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Over the summer, USDA announced six new urban County Committees in Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Grand Rapids, MN; Los Angeles, CA; New York City, NY; Oakland, CA. The nomination period for these locations began October 21 and will end on December 2. Elections will be held from January 3 through January 31, 2023. Learn more at farmers.gov/urban.
More Information
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production; fairer markets for all producers; ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities; building new markets and streams of income for farmers; producers using climate smart food and forestry practices; making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America; committing to equity across the Department, by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.