Although the election is months away, farmers and owners in southern Butler County can now begin the nomination process for the Farm Service Agency county committee.

Election ballots will be mailed out in early November to farm owners and farmers in Local Administrative Area #3 which consists of the following townships: Cranberry, Jackson, Adams, Forward, Middlesex, Penn, Clinton, Jefferson, Buffalo and Winfield.

The final day to nominate candidates is Aug. 1. Nomination petitions (Form FSA-669A) can now be requested from the county office or downloaded from the Web site: www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/elections.

Nomination forms must be submitted to the county office or be postmarked on or before the Aug. 1 closing date and the forms must be signed by the nominee — whether self-nominated or nominated by someone else.

The following are some requirements for a candidate to serve on the committee:

n Be of legal voting age

n Live in the Local Administrative Area holding an election

n Participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA.

Committee members are local agricultural producers responsible for the fair and equitable administration of FSA farm programs in their counties and are accountable to the Secretary of Agriculture.

Origin of Alabama BSE cow unknown

Apparently the epidemiology investigation into the Alabama cow with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, has been concluded, according to media reports and Alabama ag officials. The bottom line is that they still have not been able to find the original herd where the animal came from.

Some 36 farms and five auction houses have been visited by ag officials, and so far only two related animals have turned up — the two most recent calves the animal gave birth to. Reports say one of those animals is still alive while the other had died last year. USDA's Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, is holding the living calf for observation.

The infected cow's most recent owner bought it at a stockyard in December 2004, according to the final epidemiology report. Another farmer sold the cow and 25 others to the stockyard.

Alabama officials said the failure at determining the origin of the animal was not surprising given its age and lack of identifying brands or ear tags.

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.