Be the Link: Getting Involved

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We're introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2025. This week, meet Tommy Salisbury of Rogers County, Oklahoma.

Building a Future

From Rogers County, Okla., Tommy Salisbury is a county committee chairman and leader in the agriculture industry. He makes a difference in his community and the agricultural industry by advocating for policies that will benefit local farmers and educating and helping develop future producers. The first-generation farmer has planted roots deep into the Collinsville community, determined to make an impact.

“Growing up, my parents were not involved in agriculture,” he said. “I started working on a ranch across the street, where I developed a passion for agriculture.”

At the age of 15, Tommy received a youth loan from the Nowata County USDA Service Center. He used this to purchase a few cows, eventually growing his herd to 25 before he went to Pittsburg State University in Kansas. Tommy sold his cows to help pay for his bachelor’s degree and an education at John Deere University. 

“Starting from scratch is not easy, especially when you do not have a family history of farming,” he said. “Banks are reluctant to lend to 20-year-olds who want to farm. The USDA’s FSA programs give younger farmers opportunities to build equity and the start that is hard to get.”

FSA helps people build a financial track record to be successful in agricultural production. 

“I learned a lot of record-keeping through FFA and 4-H,” Salisbury said. “The loan application was intimidating at first, but I had great people at FSA like Carol Stipe, Nowata County farm loan manager.”

In 2014, Tommy’s neighbor presented him with the opportunity to purchase his property through personal financing. Tommy and his wife began establishing themselves within their community in Collinsville through diverse agriculture operations. At one point, their operation grew to 5,500 acres, but due to urbanization, they now farm 3,200 acres. In 2021 and 2022, Tommy diversified his cow calf operation by purchasing a feed store and a sale barn for cattle, horses and other livestock. 

Learning From Others

Tommy joined the county committee in 2019 and is currently the chairman. He’s also involved with several other agriculture boards including the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Young Farmers and Ranchers and the American Farm Bureau.

“One of the main reasons I got involved with the county committee was for the education,” he said. “Talking to older and more experienced farmers and ranchers has been invaluable – they’ve been in the industry for years and have so much wisdom to share.”

FSA county committees provide young producers like Tommy an opportunity to make a positive and relevant impact in their agricultural community. 

County committee members are elected by their peers to serve as a direct link between the agricultural community and USDA. Producers on the committee help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level, and work to make federal farm programs serve the needs of local producers.

Each year, FSA accepts nominations for a certain Local Administrative Area (LAA); the LAA up for election rotates annually.

Tommy encourages anyone who wants to learn more about the programs and services FSA provides to agricultural producers to consider running for their local committee.

“The county committee is special, because the ones that have boots on the ground, that understand how programs directly affect producers, are allowed to have an impact on these broad programs,” he said.

More Information

For more information on FSA county committee elections, contact your local FSA office or visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.

Madeline Alewine is the state outreach coordinator for FSA in Oklahoma.