The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Lyon County FSA office or postmarked by 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 David Schreiber, county executive director for Lyon County. “Please take a few minutes to review your ballot and make your selection prior to the Dec. 6 deadline.”

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 (LAA). Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2022.

The election this year is in LAA #3, which includes the townships of Eidsvold, Fairview, Grandview, Lucas, Nordland, Vallers and Westerheim.

Dale Louwagie is nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. He has a Cottonwood address and raises corn and soybeans.

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 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.