Rantz Smith has been a county committee member in Gilchrist County for six years.
By Lauren Moore, USDA
The nomination period for USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections began June 14 and continues through Aug. 1, 2019. Throughout the nomination period, we’ll be introducing county committee members across the nation. This week meet Rantz Smith of Trenton, Florida.
Growing up in the watermelon business, Rantz has operated on his own since 1999 – growing watermelons, peanuts and corn on his operation in north Florida.
Serving Fellow Farmers
Rantz has been a county committee member for FSA in Gilchrist County for six years and currently serves as vice chairman.
County committee members are farmers elected by their peers to serve as a direct link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers on the committee help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level, help decide the kind of programs their counties will offer and work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers.
Each year, FSA accepts nominations for a certain Local Administrative Area (LAA) and the LAA up for election rotates each year.
“We need to be involved on the ground level and be a voice for our fellow producers,” said Rantz.
Rantz grows watermelons, peanuts and corn on his operation in north Florida.
Importance of Safety-Net
Like the farmers he serves, Rantz protects his operation with programs from FSA.
To prepare for potential market downturns, he enrolled his eligible crops in FSA’s Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, which can provide a crucial safety-net.
To prepare for the impacts of Mother Nature, he purchased coverage through FSA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for his watermelons. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters.
“We never know when Mother Nature will strike,” he said.
More Information
For more information on FSA county committee elections, contact your local FSA office or visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.
