The Butler County USDA Farm Service Agency will host an informational meeting regarding the 2016 County Committee Election process July 13.

The meeting will be held at the Butler County FSA office, which is located at 320-B Greenville Bypass in Greenville, and will begin at 10 a.m.

Producers, including minority, women and new farmers, are encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the 2016 election.

The county committee nomination period began on June 15, 2016. Nomination forms must be postmarked or received in the Butler County FSA Office by close of business on Aug. 1, 2016.

For election purposes, counties are divided into local administrative areas (LAA).  Each LAA nominates and elects one producer to serve a three-year term on the FSA County Committee.

Each year, an election is held in an LAA where a committee member’s three-year term is expiring.  For 2016, an election will be held in LAA 2, which includes Greenville, Searcy, Spring Hill, Daisy, Reddock Springs, Liberty, Mashville, Midway, Glasgow, Halso Mill and Pigeon Creek.

“Farmers and ranchers in LAA 2 are urged to participate in this year’s county committee elections by nominating candidates by the August 1, 2016 deadline,” said Olivia McCray, Butler County USDA FSA executive director. “County Committees are unique to FSA and allow producers to have a voice on federal farm program implementation at the local level.”

To be eligible to serve on an FSA county 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 LAA in which the person is a candidate.

Those with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in this meeting should contact McCray at (334) 382-3151, ext. 2, or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, by July 6.