LEWISTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency has announced that farmers can nominate candidates to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees.

The nomination period will continue through Aug. 1. Elections will take place this fall.

The agency encourages all producers, especially minorities and women, to participate in the county committee election process by nominating candidates.

To be eligible to serve on a committee, a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate.

Producers may nominate themselves or others. Organizations representing minority and women may also nominate candidates.

To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A.

The form and other information about the elections are available online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov; click on News & Events, then County Committee Elections.

Nomination forms for the 2007 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 1.

Committee members make decisions on disaster and conservation payments, emergency programs, commodity price support loans and payments, and other agricultural issues.

Members serve three-year terms. Election will take place Nov. 2 to Dec. 3.

Newly elected committee members and alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2008.