PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Aroostook County FSA office or postmarked by December 4.
“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 CED Chandra Campbell, county executive director for Aroostook 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. Newly elected committee members will take office January 1, 2024. Aroostook County 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 #2, which includes Presque Isle, Washburn, Van Buren, and Caribou in Aroostook County: Logan McLaughlin
McLaughlin is nominated to serve as a committee member for a 3-year term. McLaughlin resides in LAA #2 and has produced processing potatoes and grains since 2013. McLaughlin comes from a long line of farming with his father and grandfather.
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 Aroostook County FSA office at 735 Main Street, Suite 2, Presque Isle, ME 04769 or call 207-764-4151 x2.
