Two seats on the Beaufort-Hyde County Farm Service Agency county committee are up for grabs this year.

The FSA County Office Committees serve as a direct link between the local agricultural community and the USDA, according to Leigh Anna Hester, Beaufort-Hyde FSA director.

Hester said the local committees allow producers to have a voice regarding federal farm programs at the local level and to review farmers’ claims for federal assistance when uninsured crops are destroyed.

“The committee is a voice for the producers,” Hester said. “Each member will know the needs in the county. They’re producers, and they know what’s going on (with the agricultural community).”

The committee is made up of five members from Local Administrative Areas (LAA) throughout the county. This year, nominations and elections will be held for Long Acre and Washington in Beaufort County, and Fairfield, Ponzer, Grassy Ridge, Scranton and Sladesville in Hyde County.

Those eligible include producers and landowners, who participate in some kind of FSA program, Hester said.

“It doesn’t have to necessarily be a producer,” Hester said. “But, obviously, you want people to have some knowledge of agriculture and programs.”

Elected members serve three-year terms and are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conservation, commodity and price-support programs, as well as other important federal farm program issues, according to Hester.

“To me, (the committee) is one of the most important things,” Hester said. “They are the ones coming in and sharing that information. They’re the ones hopefully going out and sharing the FSA programs and information with their fellow peers.”

Producers may nominate themselves or others as candidates, and nomination forms must be postmarked or received in the Beaufort-Hyde County FSA Office by Aug. 1.

All newly elected county committee members and alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2017.

To become a nominee, eligible individuals must sign form FSA-669A. The form is available online at fsa.usda.gov/elections. For more information, contact the Beaufort-Hyde County FSA office at 252-946-1076.