The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers.
To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Oconto-Marinette County FSA office or postmarked by Dec. 2.
“FSA county committee members provide valuable knowledge and judgment as decisions are made about the services we provide, including disaster assistance and other critical financial and technical support programs,” said Nancy Swenty, county executive director. “Please take a few minutes to review your ballot and make your selection prior to the Dec. 2 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, 2025. Oconto-Marinette County committee members help FSA make decisions on its commodity support programs, conservation programs, indemnity and disaster programs, emergency programs and eligibility.
Alan Shallow has been nominated and is running in the 2024 election in LAA 4, which includes Grover, Lena, Little River, Peshtigo, Porterfield and Oconto.
Shallow is nominated to serve as a committee member for a three-year term. He lives in Lena and has produced cash crops for 25 years.
Ashley Dudkiewicz has been nominated and is running in the 2024 election in LAA 2, which includes Athelstane, Doty, Lakewood, Middle Inlet, Mountain, Riverview, Silver Cliff, Stephenson, Townsend and Wagner.
Dudkiewicz is nominated to serve as a committee member for a three-year term. She lives in Crivitz and produces cash crops and Simmental cattle. She has been farming for 15 years.
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 identify LAAs up for election through a geographic information system locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections and may confirm their LAA by contacting their local FSA office. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail can request one from the Oconto-Marinette County FSA office at 410½ E. Main St., Lena, WI 54139-9196 or by calling 920-829-5406, ext. 2.
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