December 4 is the Last Day to Return Ballots
The Dalles OR, Nov. 6, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Wasco/Hood River County FSA office or postmarked by Dec. 4, 2023.
“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 Lissa Biehn, county executive director for Wasco/Hood River County. “Please take a few minutes to review your ballot and make your selection prior to the Dec. 4 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 (LAA). Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2024. Wasco/Hood River County FSA committee members help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, emergency programs and eligibility.
The following producers have been nominated and are running in the 2023 election in LAA 1, which includes The Dalles, in Wasco/Hood River County FSA are Megan Thompson and Carmen Gamez. Robert Benton Jr has been nominated for LAA 4, Lower Hood River Valley, which includes Hood River, Odell and the west side of the Hood River Valley.
Thompson is nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. Thompson resides in The Dalles and has produced Sweet Cherries for 15 years.
Megan serves on the Board of Directors for AgLink and Oregon Ag Trust, as well as being the Oregon Representative for North West Horticulture and a committee member of OSCC Research Committee.
Carmen Gamez has been growing sweet cherries in The Dalles Oregon for 20 years, serving as a fieldman for Orchard View Inc. for the last 5 years. Mr. Gamez has been a Horticultural Manager for 35 years.
Robert Benton Jr. is nominated in LAA 4, Hood River County, to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. Benton resides in Hood River and produces apples, cherries and pears.
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 to FSA, even if they have not applied or received 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. Customers can locate their LAA through a new GIS locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from the Wasco/Hood River County FSA office at 2325 River Rd, Ste 1, The Dalles OR, 97058 or call (541) 298-8559, Ext. 2.
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