Agency welcomes new executive director

The Huron/Erie County Farm Service Agency would like to welcome our new County Executive Director (CED), Jessica Solomon. Jessie began her duties in the office on June 22. Jessie joined FSA in September of 2020 as a County Operations Trainee to train to become a CED. She traveled around the state of Ohio to study FSA programs and to learn county office operations. Jessie is from Florida and moved to Ohio to be closer to family. She attended the University of Florida and received a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology and conservation in 2013 and a master's degree in agronomy in 2019 with a research focus of pest plant management. Jessie's professional background is in finance, ecology, and land management. She spends a lot of her free time gardening, playing disc golf, bicycling, and enjoying the outdoors. Jessie is very excited to get the opportunity to work with the great staff in the Norwalk USDA Service Center as well as serving the producers and landowners in Huron and Erie counties. Farm service agency now accepting nominations for county committee members The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting nominations for county committee members. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 2. Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages minority producers, women and beginning farmers or ranchers to nominate, vote and hold office. Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serving on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Producers serving on FSA county committees play a critical role in the day-to-day operations of the agency. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. The Huron/Erie County Committee has five LAAs with two up for election this year. LAA 3 in Huron County (includes the Townships of Fairfield, Fitchville, New London, Richmond, New Haven, Ripley, and Greenwich) and LAA 4 in Erie County (includes the Townships of Kelleys Island, Margaretta Annex, Margaretta, Perkins, Huron, Groton, and Oxford). Producers should contact the Huron/Erie FSA office (419-668-4113) today to register and find out how to get involved in their county's election. 2021 acreage reporting dates To comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to contact their FSA office to file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable deadline. The following acreage reporting dates are applicable for: • Acreage. July 15, 2021: Report all your Burley Tobacco, Cabbage (Planted 3/19/21-5/31/21), Corn, Grain Sorghum, Hybrid Corn Seed, Spring Oats, Popcorn, Potatoes, Soybeans, Sugar Beets, Tomatoes and all other crops. Report Perennial Forage Crops and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage. Please contact your FSA office as soon as possible, if you have had changes in your farming operation, such as renting new acreage for 2021, dropping farms, ownership changes, breaking out new land, and changes to your operation. Updated farm records are important to maintain the accuracy and integrity of programs administered by FSA. For questions regarding crop certification and crop loss reports, please contact your County FSA office. Dates to Remember July 5 — Independence Day Holiday. FSA Offices Closed. July 15 — Final certification date to report burley tobacco; cabbage planted through May 31; corn, grain sorghum, hybrid corn seed, spring oats, potatoes, popcorn, sugar beets, tomatoes and other crops. Report perennial forage crops. July 15 — Primary Nesting Season ends. FROM THE HURON/ERIE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY AGRI-BUSINESS NOTES FOR THE HURON AND ERIE COUNTY PRODUCERS.