County Committee (COC)

Frequently Asked Questions for Stakeholders June 2023

Do FSA county committees 

make a difference?

County committees impact the 

administration of the Farm Service 

Agency (FSA) within a community. 

They help make determinations 

on programs such as disaster 

assistance, hiring decisions, and 

assist with outreach. County 

committee members can impact 

producers through their decision 

making and help shape the culture 

of a local FSA office. They also 

ensure the fair and equitable 

administration of FSA farm 

programs in their counties and are 

accountable to the Secretary of 

Agriculture.

What is an FSA county committee?

Every FSA office in the country is 

required by law to have an advisory 

board made up of local farmers and 

ranchers. Members of the board 

(called a county committee) are 

elected by their peers (local farmers 

and landowners) in the fall of every 

year.

What do county committees do?

County committees make informed 

decisions in FSA county offices 

across the country. Every FSA 

office is required to have a county 

committee, and they are made up 

of local farmers who are elected by 

local farmers.

What kind of voice does a member 

have?

Committees conduct business, 

decisions are made by consensus, 

and committee members represent 

the priorities and voice of the 

diversity of producers and all 

production types.

What issues can they speak to?

Conduct hearings and reviews as 

requested by the state committee, 

ensure socially disadvantaged 

(SDA) farmers and ranchers 

are fairly represented, make 

recommendations to the state 

committee on existing programs, 

monitor changes in farm programs, 

and inform farmers and ranchers of 

the purpose and provisions of FSA 

programs.

What positions are there within a 

county committee?

Committees have a chair, vice chair, 

voting member, minority nonvoting advisor, and if applicable, an 

appointed voting SDA member.

How do I become committee 

chair?

The positions are voted on among 

the current COC members at the 

organizational meeting held each 

January. If you are interested 

in a particular role, you should 

communicate this during the initial 

January meeting after elections 

take place.

What’s the history of county 

committees?

The county committees were 

authorized by Congress in the 

1930’s to allow for grassroots 

input and local administration 

of “Agricultural Adjustment 

Administration” programs.
Why should we represent 

diversity?

Diversity is one of our greatest 

strengths as we reach towards new 

opportunities and solve challenging 

problems. Having diverse County 

Committee and an inclusive culture 

ensures fair representation of 

farmers, ranchers and production 

types. 

What is the time commitment?

Meetings are held monthly and 

last approximately two to three 

hours, depending on the amount of 

materials needing review. Meetings 

will not be held if there is not 

sufficient business to address on 

a given month. If impromptu work 

or pressing issues arise between 

meetings, a conference call can be 

held instead of a physical meeting.

How long are the terms?

Three years.

Are there term limits?

A limit of three terms for a total of 

nine consecutive years.

What are the differences between 

elected and appointed COC 

members?

Both positions require a 

nomination form, but the elected 

member is voted in by the winning 

number of votes tallied in their 

county. An appointed member 

is selected by the Secretary of 

Agriculture to represent the 

underserved in that county. Both 

positions are voting members.

What is the incentive? What kind 

of benefits or compensation do 

COC members receive?

Committee members get 

reimbursed for travel to and from 

committee meetings. Committee 

members also receive a stipend for 

their time.

Are COC members considered 

federal employees?

No.

Although COC members are not 

federal employees, they are still 

required to obey some of the same 

rules that apply to federal and 

county employees. For example, 

COC members complete security 

and ethics training.

How can stakeholders support 

producers who are running for 

office or who want to vote?

Stakeholders can help producers by 

sharing information online and by 

word of mouth at public meetings 

or when interacting with farmers 

and ranchers.

How do COC’s affect decisions for 

Natural Resource Conservation 

Service (NRCS)?

COCs approve cost-share rates 

used in conservation programs 

in conjunction with NRCS. COCs 

also approve eligibility, which may 

affect NRCS program payments and 

producer eligibility.

Why should organizations promote 

COC elections?

County committees provide 

local input on the administration 

of FSA programs, including 

commodity price support loans 

and payments, conservation 

programs, disaster payments and 

emergency programs. Farmers 

who serve on committees help 

decide administrative details of 

programs and provide input on 

how to improve program delivery. 

County committees play critical 

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roles in outreach. They help shape 

the culture of their local offices 

and improve customer service. 

Organizations can help make sure 

their producers are being served 

by promoting representation on 

county committees.

How do I know if I’m eligible to be 

nominated to serve on a county 

committee?

To hold office as a COC member 

or alternate, a person must fulfill 

each requirement: be a producer 

who owns or operates a farm or 

ranch; participate or cooperate in 

any FSA program provided for by 

law; be a U.S. Citizen; be of legal 

voting age; meet the basic eligibility 

requirements; and reside in the 

county or multi-county jurisdiction 

in which they will be serving.

What does it mean to “cooperate 

in any FSA program”?

A cooperating producer is someone 

who has provided information 

about their farming or ranching 

operation(s) but may not have 

applied or received FSA program 

benefits.

Can I nominate myself?

Yes. Individuals may nominate 

themselves or others as 

a candidate. Additionally, 

organizations representing 

underserved (minority and women) 

farmers or ranchers may nominate 

candidates. Nomination forms are 

filed for the county committee 

at the office that administers a 

producer’s farm records. To become 

a nominee, eligible individuals must 

sign nomination form FSA- 669A. 

The form includes a statement 

that the nominee agrees to serve 

if elected. This form is available at 

your FSA county office and online 

at fsa.usda. gov/elections.

What happens when someone is 

nominated? Are they notified?

Nominees will be notified because 

the FSA-669A needs to have 

the nominee’s signature. If the 

candidate is nominated by someone 

else or an organization, the county 

office will contact that person 

to inform them they have been 

nominated. If they accept the 

nomination, they will need to sign 

the nomination form.

How do I know if I’m eligible to 

vote?

To be eligible to vote, producers 

must be currently farming in the 

county and participating in a 

USDA program or have a loan with 

FSA. Only certain districts of the 

county are up for election each 

year, and if you are eligible to vote, 

you should receive a ballot in the 

mail in November. If you are in the 

FSA system for a current Local 

Administrative Area (LAA) election, 

you will also receive a ballot.

What if I farm with my parents? 

How do I know if I will receive a 

ballot?

If you are in our system and actively 

farming, you will receive a ballot 

when your LAA is up for election.

How do I find out if I’m farming in 

an LAA that is up for an election?

You can contact your local FSA 

office and ask if your LAA is up for 

an election. Additionally, postcards 

are mailed at the start of the 

nomination period to all eligible 

voters in the LAA that is up for 

election that year.

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How do I know what LAA my farm 

is located in?

Your local FSA office can tell you 

what LAA you are located in. 

Additionally, a county committee 

election GIS locator tool is available 

at fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Who can I contact to make sure I 

get a ballot?

You can contact your local FSA 

office to find out if you are eligible 

to vote. If you’re eligible to vote, but 

did not receive your ballot in the 

mail, you may pick one up at your 

local FSA office.

How do I vote?

Ballots are mailed to all eligible 

farmers and landowners the first 

Monday in November. You can 

either mail your ballot or turn it in 

at your local FSA office. You will 

receive a receipt for service if you 

return your ballot to your local 

office.

When do I vote?

All ballots are due back the first 

Monday in December. Check with 

your local office on the exact date, 

as it changes year to year.

Who counts the ballots?

The ballots are counted by current 

COC members, the county 

executive director and other office 

staff, if needed.

Is the ballot counting public?

The counting of the ballots is open 

to the public. The date and time will 

be printed on the ballot you receive 

in the mail.

Will my vote even matter?

Absolutely! Generally, only a 

fraction of eligible farmers vote 

in their local county committee 

elections. With such a low turnout, 

your vote matters even more. Every 

ballot sent in is another step closer 

to making sure family farmers and 

ranchers are heard.

If I am a member of a Native 

American tribe am I eligible to vote 

in COC elections?

Yes, all members of Indian tribes 

holding agricultural land are 

eligible to vote if they meet the 

age requirement. As a member of a 

federally recognized tribe, you are 

considered a landowner if the land 

is tribally owned or held in trust for 

the tribe by the United States.

Are the eligibility requirements 

the same for a tribal member who 

wants to run for the COC?

Yes, eligibility requirements are the 

same for a tribal member as they 

are for any other nominee who 

wants to run for the COC.

Can tribal leadership or a tribal 

organization nominate a farmer or 

rancher for the COC?

Yes, as an organization that 

represents underserved producers, 

tribal governments and local 

organizations that represent 

historically underserved producers 

can nominate farmers and ranchers 

for county committees.

fsa.usda.gov/elections

Contact your local FSA county office to learn more about County Committees.

June 2023 fsa.usda.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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