Nominations are complete for committee members in Local Administrative Areas 1 and 5. Ballots have been mailed out and voters have until Dec. 5 to return them to the county Farm Service Agency.

The committee members make important decisions on how federal farm programs fit the needs of state producers. Members make decisions on commodity price support loans and payments, establishment of allotments and yields, conservation programs and farm disaster assistance.

The committee system — established in the 1930s — gives local farmers and ranchers a much-needed say in how farm programs are administered at the grass-roots level. It is vital that all eligible farmers and ranchers vote in this year's election to ensure that these committees represent the interests of all producers in a community.

If you are on the FSA mailing list, chances are you are an eligible voter. Anyone who meets the requirements in one of the first two items below, plus the third item, is eligible to vote:

Of legal voting age and have an interest in a farm or ranch as either 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.

Is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations on an entire farm.

Eligible to participate in any FSA program that is provided by law, regardless of the status of funding.

Townships in Local Administrative Area 1 include Mercer, Slippery Rock, Marion, Venango, Allegheny, Parker, Washington, Brady, Worth, Cherry, Clay, Concord and Fairview.

The candidates are:

Randal Smith — Smith, along with his four brothers, own and operate Smith Incredibull Dairy farm in Washington Township. The milking herd is 600 cows. Crops produced include: corn silage, hay, oats, corn grain, soybeans and sweet corn. Smith is currently serving on the committee and currently serves as a Washington Township supervisor.

Steven Lange — Lange, along with his parents, Jochen and Martha Lange, own and operate Lange Farms, a beef cattle farm in Slippery Rock Township. Lange oversees the feedlot aspect of the cattle operation, feeding about 110 cattle every nine months. They also maintain a brood cow herd of approximately 50 head. Crops produced include corn silage and grain, hay, wheat, soybeans and oats.

Local Administrative Area 5 includes townships in Beaver and Allegheny counties.

The candidate is:

William McKenzie — McKenzie, along with family members, owns and operates a 270-acre farm in Hanover Township, Beaver County. McKenzie was in the dairy business for many years but now focuses his operation on beef cattle. McKenzie is currently serving on the committee and previously was a township supervisor.