FSA has announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint eligible targeted underserved (referred to in statute as socially disadvantaged or SDA) farmers and ranchers to serve a role as a voting member of established County Committees (COC's).
Targeted underserved groups are American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, and Women. Authority to appoint the voting targeted underserved members was granted in the 2002 Farm Bill. The purpose of the law was to give the Secretary of Agriculture the power to create fair representation for targeted underserved farmers and ranchers.
Targeted underserved farmers and ranchers represent a large portion of the farm population in many jurisdictional areas, however in Northern County, a targeted underserved candidate was not elected to the committee in the annual voting process.
The Secretary can now appoint a voting targeted underserved member from names nominated and submitted locally. The appointed member will serve for one year. Each year, a statistical analysis will be conducted to determine whether re-appointment of a targeted underserved member is necessary to provide a voice for all targeted underserved producers on the County Committee.
Please submit an eligible candidate for nomination. FSA-669A-2, "Nomination Form for County FSA Committee SDA Appointment" will be accepted in the FSA
office through February 2, 2016.
Candidates for appointment must
meet the same eligibility requirements as candidates for election, except
for the requirement to live in a specific LAA.
Candidates may reside in any LAA within the COC jurisdiction for the position of COC SDA Voting Member.
See the enclosed fact sheet on "Eligibility to Vote and Hold Office as a COC Member".
