The U.S. Department of Agriculture has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Pecos-Terrell County FSA office at 2306 W Dickinson Blvd, Ste. 1 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 Carla Spencer, county executive director for Pecos and Terrell Counties. “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. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2022. County committee members help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, and emergency programs and eligibility.

The nominee up for election in LAA No. 4, which includes that part of Pecos County south of I-10 and east of Highway 285 and continuing south into Terrell County to FM 2400, is Kati Harral Rogers.

Kati resides east of Fort Stockton and has been involved in the family cattle, horse and hunting operations her whole life. She is a Texas Tech graduate and has served on the Pecos-Terrell County Committee for the past three years. Kati has been nominated to serve the producers in southeast Pecos County and northeast Terrell County and is willing to serve if elected.

The nominee up for election in LAA #5, which encompasses all of Terrell County lying south of FM 2400, is Payden Ward.

Ward resides in Terrell County and has been raising his own herd of sheep and goats for the past 10 years. Ward grew up in a ranching family so agriculture is in his blood. He has a passion for trapping and running dogs which plays a critical role in the success of his operation through predator control. Payden is a member of the Farm Bureau and is willing to serve the producers of Terrell County if elected.

Farm Service Agency 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.

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 fsa.usda.gov/elections for more information.