Be the Link: Serving the Local Community

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 Barry Warner of Buckingham County, Virginia.

Growing Up on the Farm

Barry Warner grew up on a working beef cattle farm in Buckingham County, Virginia, where feeding cattle and repairing fences and gates were an everyday occurrence.  

Fast forward 50 years and Barry has done it all: cattle operations, hay operations, raising crops, grinding corn, chopping silage and raising tobacco – where he planted, weeded, cut, stripped and hand tied the leaves for market. 

During that time, Barry wasn’t just farming; he also had a career off-farm working for the Virginia Department of Corrections for more than 30 years. 

His recent retirement from that career has afforded him even more time to continue his love for farming. In retirement, he transformed his farmland into hay forage to provide quality hay for nearby cattle and horse operations.

Serving Others

Barry has served on the FSA Buckingham County Committee for the past 16 months – the first year serving as a committee member and the past four months as the committee chairperson. 

He understands the needs and obstacles that farmers face and uses that knowledge to assist other farmers with current programs being offered by FSA. 

“My favorite part of becoming a committee member, and now chairperson, is the ability to serve other farmers,” Barry said. “I attend meetings and trainings for FSA and can be a voice for my 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.

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

“Being on the county committee allows you to become more involved with current programming possibilities for all of the various types and styles of farming and weather-related events,” Barry said. “The committee is there to provide a fair and equal opportunity for the farmers in our area that otherwise may not be properly served when it comes to the challenges that all farmers face on a day-to-day basis.”

More Information

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

 Joseph L. Chandler is the FSA county executive director for Buckingham and Cumberland counties in Virginia.