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The 2022 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections began on Nov. 7, 2022, when ballots were mailed to eligible voters. The deadline to return ballots to local FSA offices, or to be postmarked, is Dec. 5, 2022. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2023.
County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.
To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm, may also be eligible to vote. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation(s) but may not have applied or received FSA program benefits.
Eligible voters in the Local Administrative Areas (LAA) that are up for election will receive a ballot in the mail. The LAA up for election for this 2022 Election cycle in Seneca County is LAA 3 (townships of Adams, Thompson, Scipio, Reed, and Venice).
More information on county committees, such as the new 2022 fact sheet, can be found on the FSA website at fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA Service Center.
The candidates in this year’s election are:
Connie Powell of Republic, Ohio in LAA 3. Connie is seeking re-election to the Seneca FSA County Committee. Connie will be finishing her first term on December 31, 2022. Connie has been farming row crops her whole life. She grew up on a dairy farm in Republic where her and her 14 siblings helped with the family operation. She continued to farm corn, soybeans, and wheat after getting married 49 years ago. Connie also worked as a registered nurse for 41 years to help build the family farming operation. Her sons, Eric and Adam, work full time to carry-on the farming operation into the next generation.
Garrett Clark of Bloomville, Ohio in LAA 3. Garrett is seeking election for his first term on the Seneca FSA County Committee for LAA 3. Garrett is a fourth-generation farmer and has been farming row crops on his own for over 2 years now. He also manages two contract hog barns, one is for wean to finish hogs and the other is a nursey barn. Garrett has been an active member of 4-H for many years and is currently an Advisor, concentrating on livestock projects with the kids.
USDA needs your vital feedback to make programs more accessible, equitable and easier to use
Are you a farmer, rancher or forest manager? Please share your vital feedback with USDA by taking a nationwide survey at farmers.gov/survey! The survey is completely anonymous, will take about 10 minutes to complete, is available in multiple languages, and will be open until March 31, 2023. The survey focuses on gathering feedback about the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency.
All farmers, ranchers and forest managers are encouraged to take the survey. USDA would especially like to hear from prospective customers: those who don’t know about USDA or have yet to work with USDA, and those who were unable to participate in the past. The survey will help USDA enhance support, improve programs and services, increase access, and advance equity for new and existing customers.
Please contact the FPAC Business Center with any further questions about the survey at FPAC.CustomerExperience@usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its People’s Garden Initiative to include eligible gardens nationwide. School gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural, suburban and urban areas can be recognized as a “People’s Garden” if they register on the USDA website and meet criteria including benefitting the community, working collaboratively, incorporating conservation practices and educating the public. Affiliate People’s Garden locations will be indicated on a map on the USDA website, featured in USDA communications, and provided with a People’s Garden sign.
About the Gardens
USDA originally launched the People’s Garden Initiative in 2009. It’s named for the “People’s Department,” former President Abraham Lincoln’s nickname for USDA, which was established during his presidency in 1862.
People’s Gardens grow fresh, healthy food and support resilient, local food systems; teach people how to garden using conservation practices; nurture habitat for pollinators and wildlife and create greenspace for neighbors.
How to Register
To learn more about People’s Garden or to register one, visit the People’s Garden webpage at usda.gov/Peoples-Garden. The location and information on each garden will be displayed on a map. USDA will send a “People’s Garden” sign to each garden and invite continued engagement through photos and information sharing. Gardens on federal property, such as USDA offices, are required to donate produce. We invite these gardens to report how much is being donated.
To be eligible, gardens:
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Benefit the community by providing food, green space, wildlife habitat, education space.
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Are a collaborative effort. This can include groups working together with USDA agencies, food banks, after school programs, Girl Scouts, Master Gardeners, conservation districts, etc.
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Incorporate conservation management practices, such as using native plant species, rain barrels, integrated pest management, xeriscaping.
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Educate the public about sustainable gardening practices and the importance of local, diverse, and resilient food systems providing healthy food for the community.
New gardens will join the People’s Garden at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 17 other flagship gardens established earlier this year.
More Information
The People’s Garden Initiative is part of USDA’s broader efforts to advance equity, support local and regional food systems and access to food, and encourage use of conservation and climate-smart practices.
USDA Service Centers across the country, are hearing from people who are interested in more space and working the land and we want to let you know we can help. Are you new to farming because of the pandemic? USDA can help you get started in farming – on everything from helping you register your farm to getting financial assistance and advice.
Get Started with USDA
First, you want to make sure your farm is registered. If you purchased land, it might already be established with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) with a farm number on file. If not, FSA can help you register your farm.
To obtain a farm number, you’ll bring an official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID) and a property deed. If you do not own the land, bring a lease agreement to show you have control of the property to your FSA representative. If your operation is incorporated or an entity, you may also need to provide proof that you have signature authority and the legal ability to enter contracts with USDA.
Access to Capital
USDA can provide access to capital through its farm loans, which is a great resource when producers aren’t able to get a loan from a traditional lender. Loans can help with purchasing land or equipment or with operating costs, and FSA even offers microloans, which are especially popular among producers with smaller farms. For more information, check out our Farm Loan Discovery Tool.
Conservation Practices
We can help you make conservation improvements to your farm, which are good for your bottom line and your operation. We’ll help you develop a conservation plan as well as apply for financial assistance that’ll cover the bulk of the costs for implementing. To learn more about some of the conservation practices that we help producers with, check out our Conservation at Work Video Series.
If you purchase land, and you don’t want to farm all of it, you can look at either a conservation easement or managing for native shrubs and grasses through either the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program or Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Easements are long-term, while a CRP contract is 10-15 years. These are good options for lands with land that is not optimal for production or sensitive lands like wetlands and grasslands.
Additional Resources
Depending on your farm, you may want to look at crop insurance. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency provides crop insurance to help you manage risks on your farm. There are many types of insurance products available for a wide variety of production practices, including organic and sustainable agriculture.
To get started with USDA, contact the Seneca County USDA service center at 419-447-7071.
Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day Holiday. USDA Service Center Closed.
Nov. 20 -- Last day to apply for coverage for asparagus, blueberries, caneberries, cherries, chestnuts, forage for hay and pasture, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, honey, hops and maple syrup through Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
Nov. 24 --- Thanksgiving Day Holiday. USDA Service Center is Closed.
Dec. 5 ---- Last day to return voted Ballots in county committee election.
Dec. 9 ---- Last day for Dairy producers to enroll for 2023 coverage through the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program as well as get additional assistance through the Supplemental DMC.
Dec. 15 -- Deadline to report the 2023 Fall Seeded Crops for fall barley, fall wheat and all other fall-seeded small grains.
ERP Phase 1: Deadline TBA: The deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) has been extended. A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 days following the mailing.
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