The election for the FSA county committee members to represent producers in Local Administrative Area (LAA) #3 was held Dec. 6 with the following results.

Elected for a 3-year term in LAA #3 was Lorraine A. Thiele as the committee member and Jeffrey L. Kennedy as first alternate and write-in nominee Thomas C. Kelley as second alternate.

LAA #3 in Butler County consists of Cranberry, Jackson, Adams, Forward, Middlesex, Penn, Clinton, Jefferson, Buffalo and Winfield townships.

Committee members are paid for their time and mileage expenses. FSA committee members are responsible for administering FSA programs in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny counties. Alternates are called upon for committee meetings and other assignments when the regular member is unable to attend. A locally elected FSA committee serves each agricultural county in the nation.

Meetings are open and are held at least quarterly and sometimes more often depending upon program demand. The Butler-Beaver-Allegheny FSA office is staffed by four employees that conduct day-to-day operations for the committee.

Commodity loans

Time is running out, with Dec. 17 being the last day, to request a loan be disbursed in the 2012 calendar year.

Considering fall harvest is nearly completed, some producers may want to take advantage of the Marketing Assistance Loan Program. These are 9-month loans that provide capital to an operation at a very low interest rate currently at 1.125 percent. Corn and soybeans stored on the farm is the collateral. Grain under loan can be fed or sold. High moisture corn is eligible; however, corn silage is not.

Contact the office for more information.

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