In this Issue:
GUEST ARTICLES
Why Use High Tunnels in minnesota?
USDA-Farm Service Agency County Committee Election
VEGETABLE NEWS
STRAWBERRY NEWS
Using Computer Models to Time Fungicide Sprays in Strawberries
APPLE NEWS
Weekly Trap Counts: June 27 - July 7, 2005
REMINDER: Apple Maggot Emergence Has Begun
| Vol 2 No.9 | July 11, 2005 |
USDA-Farm Service Agency County Committee Election
St. Paul, MN -- Nationwide, there are more than 8,000 county committee members serving more than 2,400 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) -Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices throughout rural America.
These committees oversee local FSA operations and make important decisions about the administration of commodity, disaster, conservation, and loan programs in their communities. This grassroots approach gives farmers and ranchers a much-needed say in how Federal actions affect their communities and their individual operations. County Committee remains a cornerstone of FSA's efforts to preserve and promote American agriculture. Given the critical role County Committees play in local agriculture, FSA is calling for increased participation of all farmers and ranchers in the county committee election process that begins on June 15, 2005.
From June 15 through August 1, eligible farmers and ranchers can be nominated as a candidate for their local FSA county committee. Minnesota has about 270 County Committee (COC) members and 1/3 of these COC positions are up for election.
Each County Committee is composed of three to five elected members, each serving a three-year term. Every COC member represents the producers in a predetermined portion of the county known as a Local Administrative Area (LAA). Eligible producers in a voting LAA are mailed a ballot in the fall with clear instructions for filling out and returning the ballot in a timely manner.
Before ballots can be distributed, a slate of eligible candidates must be established. Creating a list of candidates for each ballot depends on the all important nomination process that begins June 15. Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to reach out to underserved segments within their communities and develop diverse groups of nominees to run for FSA county committee member.
Names for candidacy are submitted using the FSA 669-A form which is available at any FSA office or on-line at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections/. Nomination forms must be signed by the nominee, and returned to the FSA office or postmarked before August 1.
If socially disadvantaged producers are not adequately represented on the elected committee, the state committee may appoint minority advisors who can represent additional views for the underserved farmers and ranchers in the county. FSA urges producers to create a diverse list of candidates so their COC election can yield the best possible representation for their communities.
Prospective Voter Requirements
A person who meets the requirements in Numbers 1 or 2 below, plus Number 3 is eligible to vote.
1. Be of legal voting age and have an interest in a farm or ranch as either of the following:
- An owner, operator, tenant, or sharecropper; or
- A partner in a general partnership or member of a joint venture that has an interest in a farm as an owner, operator, tenant, or sharecropper.
2. Not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations on an entire farm.
3. Eligible to participate in any FSA program that is provided for by law, regardless of the status of funding.
For further information or if you have questions, contact your local USDA Service Center or Dr. Nigatu Tadesse, USDA-Farm Service Agency, at 651-602-7705 or e-mail: nigatu.tadesse@mn.usda.gov
Important Election Dates to Remember:
June 15, 2005: Nomination period begins.
August 1, 2005 : Last day to file nomination forms at the USDA Service Center.
November 4, 2005 : Ballots mailed to eligible voters
December 5, 2005 : Last day to return voted ballots to the USDA Service Center.
January 1, 2006 : Elected committee members and alternates take office
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison (hutch002@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Management and Development Division, and Suzanne Wold-Burkness (woldx018@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota
The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Wednesday to Jeanne Ciborowski, 651-297-3217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us , MDA, 90 W. Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107-2094. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf format at: www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/fruitreports/
Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (MFVGA) and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA). These institutions are equal opportunity providers.
DISCLAIMER
Reference to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current manufacturer directions.
The University, including the Minnesota Extension Service, is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©1999-2005 Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Contact copyright@extension.umn.edu for information on reproduction or use of this material.