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> **[C O C ELECTION NOMINATIONS\_\_\_\_]{.underline}**

From June 15 through August 1, farmers and ranchers can nominate
eligible peers as

candidates for election to the Litchfield/Fairfield County Farm Service
Agency County

Committee. This year, elections will be held in LAA 3, **in the towns of
Canaan, North**

**Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, Salisbury, Sharon and Warren, and LAA5 in the
towns**

**of Bridgeport, Fairfield, Monroe, Newtown, Sandy Hook, Shelton,
Southport,**

**Stratford, Trumbull, and Westport.** This is an important time for
Local Administrative

Area communities, because county committee members make decisions that
have

significant effects on you and the area's agricultural sector as a
whole.

For example, committee members make decisions on applications for
federal farm

program and disaster payments. Committee members play a vital role by
helping local

farmers and ranchers manage tough financial times and natural disasters.

County Committee members make many other important decisions that affect
local

farmers and ranchers, such as whether haying and grazing should be
allowed on

Conservation Reserve Program land. Talk to a county committee member or

Howard E. Rood Jr., County Executive Director, for details on the types
of decisions

county committee members make.

**A NOMINATION FORM IS ENCLOSED.**

**PLEASE TAKE THE TIME NOW TO**

**NOMINATE SOMEONE FROM THE**

**TOWNS LISTED ABOVE, THAT YOU**

**BELIEVE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN**

**PARTICIPATING, AND DO A GREAT**

**JOB FOR THE LITCHFIELD/FAIRFIELD**

**COUNTY COMMITTEE.**

Remember, the nomination period runs from **June 15 through August 1.**
Voting

takes place in the fall. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters by
November 2.

December 3^rd^ is the last day to return ballots to the county office.
Newly elected

committee members and alternates take office January 1, 2008.

***LITCHFIELD/FAIRFIELD***

***FARM SERVICE AGENCY***

1185 New Litchfield St

Torrington, CT 06790

**[YOUTH LOAN PROJECTS\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}**

The Farm Service Agency makes loans to rural youths to establish and
operate income-producing

projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other youth
organizations. Projects must be planned

and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce
sufficient income to repay the loan and

provide the youth with practical business and educational experience.
**The maximum loan is \$5,000.**

YOUTH LOAN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1.  Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the
    Virgin Islands, Guam, American

> Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal
> resident alien.

2.  Be 10 years to 20 years of age.

3.  Live in the open country or in a town of less than 10,000 people.

4.  Be unable to get a loan from other sources.

5.  Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of
    work as outlined above.

6.  Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the
    project under guidance and

> assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must
> recommend the project and the

loan, along with providing adequate supervision.

Please call our office. We'll help prepare and process the application
forms and answer any questions

you may have about the program. Remember, FSA is an equal opportunity
lender and provider.

**[A C R E A G E R E P O R T I N
G\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}**

The timely filing of an acreage report for all crops and land uses,
including failed acreage, can prevent loss of benefits

for a number of programs, including Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment
Program, Conservation Reserve Program,

Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, as well as marketing
assistance loans and loan deficiency payments.

**TO BE TIMELY, YOU MUST FILE AN FSA-578 BY JULY 16 2007.**

To be considered timely, acreage reports for:

Prevented planted acreage must be filed not later than 15 calendar days
after the final planting date for the

application crop.

Failed acreage must be filed before the disposition of the crop.

FSA will accept crop certifications from farm operators, farm owners,
persons authorized by power of attorney and

tenants and sharecroppers, for which they have a share.

**OUR TELEPHONE NUMBER IS: 860-626-8852.**

**OUR EXTENSIONS ARE:**

**HOWARD -- 101, ELLEN -- 104, KAREN -- 103, BARBARA -- 102, CAROLYN --
100**