Ballots for the county committee election were mailed out Nov. 4 for local Administrative Area 2 & 4.

Voters have until Dec. 2 to return their ballots to the county office.

FSA County Committee members make important decisions on how federal farm programs fit the needs of Pennsylvania producers.

FSA County Committees make decisions on commodity price support loans and payments; establishment of allotments and yields; conservation programs; incentive, indemnity, and disaster payments for some commodities; and other farm disaster assistance.

The FSA County 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 Farm Service Agency mailing list, chances are you are an eligible voter.

Anyone who meets the requirements in 1 or 2, plus 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:

a. an owner, operator, tenant or sharecropper, or

b. 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; or

2. Not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations on an entire farm; and

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

Candidates on the ballot in local Administrative Area 2, which covers Muddy Creek, Franklin, Lancaster, Connoquenessing, Center, Butler, Oakland, Summit, Donegal and Clearfield townships in Butler County, are:

Leroy Bergbigler — “We are dairy farmers in Clearfield Township. My wife Mary and our oldest daughter Marybeth work full time on the farm of about 300 acres.

“We grow hay, corn, oats and soybeans and milk about 100 cows. We work hard to be good caretakers of the land, cows and the environment.”

Janet Jesteadt — “My husband Bob and I own and operate our farm, Jesteadt Acres, located in Muddy Creek Township. We raise beef cattle and operate our own butcher shop.

“Our son and daughter and their families are also involved in the farm operation. We produce soybeans, corn, oats and hay on our farm, and including three other farms that we rent, it totals 220 acres.

“We are members of the Butler County Farm Bureau. I also am a member of the Butler County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.”

Harold Rader — “My wife Barb and I farm around 250 acres in Connoquenessing Township.

“We raise corn, oats, soybeans, wheat and hay. We have 30 brood cows and still have 15-20 dairy heifers. We have five children and five grandchildren who are my joy of life.”

Candidates on the ballot in Local Administrative Area 4, which is Beaver County north of the Ohio River, are:

Elder Vogel Sr. — “My family and I own and operate about 400 acres in New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, where we milk between 40-50 registered Holstein cows. We maintain about the same number of young stock.

“We grow corn, oats and wheat along with hay for the cattle feed. We belong to several organizations, including the PA Grange, PA Holstein Association, PA Farm Bureau and our church.”

Michael Carreon — “Our farm is located in Darlington Township, Beaver County. It is the Old McRoberts Dairy Farm, which we run together with my brother-in-law.

“We plant a corn, soybean rotation utilizing both minimum and no-till practices. We also make our own hay. We run an Angus influenced cow/calf operation as well on a rotational grazing system. We background our calves to BQA standards and sell after weaning.

“I am a member of both tile National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association.”

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