A vital participation opportunity for Indian Country agriculture producers is coming up soon.
Beginning June 16, 2025, nominations open for local elections to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committees. The FSA plays an important role in getting resources, technical help, and financial support to Native farmers and ranchers across the country.
The FSA has a wide reach, supporting farms and farming communities with an array of services, including loans, disaster relief, and commodity price guarantees. These programs are administered in Local Administrative Areas (LAAs), which are managed by elected members of the County Committees. These LAAs have large influence over production and lands, including land belonging to federally recognized Tribes.
FSA importance to Indian Country
Taking part in the annual FSA County Committee elections can help ensure the agency keeps improving its programs and services for Tribal communities.
The last elections occurred in 2022 and the 2023 election report shows that only 4.2% of all nominees were Native American.
“It would be impactful to see that percentage rise with this new round of elections. It’s essential that Native voices are part of the conversation when decisions are being made about agriculture,” said Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative Executive Director Carly Griffith Hotvedt. “Our communities have unique relationships with the land, and bringing those perspectives into FSA leadership helps ensure programs reflect our values, needs, and traditions—not just at the local level, but across the board.”
A citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a former agriculture program director at Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma, Griffith Hotvedt has previously served on the Oklahoma FSA committee.
If you’re a Tribal citizen of a federally recognized Tribe and your Tribe owns or holds agricultural land in trust, you may be eligible to vote in an FSA County Committee election, even if you don’t personally farm that land. If you meet the voting requirements, you’re considered a landowner for election purposes. Nominations can come from Tribal governments, individuals, or even be self-submitted.
To check eligibility, reach out to your local FSA county office and update your information. For more information on FSA voting, check here.
Process of Election
The nomination period for FSA county committees opens every three years, with the next cycle beginning on June 16, 2025. Nomination forms must be submitted by August 1, 2025. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters by November 3, 2025, and must be returned by December 1, 2025. Newly elected committee members will take office on January 1, 2026
The number of county seats available varies based on location and the number of producers in the county. Each county or multicounty jurisdiction is made up of three to 11 LAAs, and members will serve a three-year term.
Eligibility is based on three factors:
- Being eligible to vote in an FSA County Committee election
- Reside in the LAA that is up for election.
- An individual is ineligible to serve on an FSA county committee if they have been removed or disqualified from FSA committee membership or employment, removed for cause from any public office, convicted of fraud, larceny, embezzlement, or any other felony, or dishonorably discharged from the military.
Learn more about the FSA services, programs, and annual elections in the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative’s podcast Rooted Wisdom: Exploring Tribal Agriculture, and check out IFAI’s resources regarding the FSA County Election process here.