Call for Candidates for 2024 USDA FSA County Committees

Jun 18, 2024

Join to impact federal farm programs in your area

By Farms.com

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) invites nominations from farmers and ranchers to join its county committees, which are key to directing the local implementation of federal agricultural programs. The deadline for submitting nominations is August 1, 2024.

FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux highlighted the unique opportunity these committees offer for agricultural producers to engage directly in the implementation of policies affecting their industry. He encourages nominations ahead of the elections scheduled for November 2024.

These committees' function within Local Administrative Areas (LAAs) and are essential for the execution of a variety of programs, including disaster recovery, conservation, and commodity support. Eligible candidates must be involved in a USDA program and reside within the LAA that will hold elections.

The nomination process is inclusive, allowing self-nominations or nominations through qualifying organizations. The FSA particularly encourages participation from underrepresented groups such as minority, women, urban, and beginning farmers and ranchers.

Urban county committees, established by the 2018 Farm Bill, focus on promoting urban and innovative agricultural practices. These committees play a crucial role in enhancing urban food systems and community initiatives.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.