By Louis Novotny
County Operations Trainee
Farm Service Agency
The Patrick USDA Service Center held its January Farm Service Agency County Committee meeting recently.
Each year in January, certain organizational items are discussed and decided on for the calendar year. The committee consists of active Patrick County farmers. They serve as the community input for the farm bill programs implemented at the ground level. Also, this county committee helps deliver outreach information and spread the word of USDA opportunities to agricultural producers.
FSA County Committee members are elected by their county producers to serve three-year terms. The 2016 County Committee consists of the following producers:
Members: Jeanie Puckett, Ararat community, chairperson, her agricultural enterprises include growing strawberries, vegetables, and agritourism business;
Charles Smith, Critz community; vice chairman, he operates his farm where he breeds cows for calves, and then raises beef cattle, pasture forage crops, and produces hay for feeding his cattle;
Roger Tuggle, Woolwine community; member, his farm includes raising cows for calves, beef cattle sales, cutting hay for his cattle, and improving his pastures to provide good forage for grazing.
The fourth Thursday of each month was set as the regular COC meeting date. Meetings will be held monthly on an as-needed basis. The COC will meet at 8:30 a.m.. Meetings will be held at the Patrick County USDA Service Center, 135 Stonewall Court, Stuart.
Community members are welcome to attend the regular session of the COC meeting and are encouraged to call ahead and confirm the date. The meeting date/time will be publicized for public notification in the county office newsletter and posted in the county office.
Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request for individuals with disabilities, vision impairment, or hearing impairment to attend or participate in these meetings. If accommodations are required, individuals should contact the county FSA office staff directly or by phone. Contact Tammy Goodyear, at (276)-694-3121, extension 2, or Federal Relay Service at 1 (800) 877-8339 by one week prior to the meeting date.
