Be the Link: Representing Local Farmers

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 Matt Thornton of Rogersville, Alabama.

A Family Affair

Matt Thornton has been farming his whole life. He’s a fourth-generation farmer operating in Lauderdale, Colbert and Lawrence counties as part of D&C Thornton Farms, LLC, where he grows corn, cotton, wheat and soybeans.

The operation consists of Matt; his cousin, Chris Thornton; Matt’s son, Titus; as well as Chris’s son, CJ; and Chris’s daughter, Gracie. D&C Thornton Farms is truly a family operation. Matt’s hope is that one day, his youngest children, Tatum and Tilly, may also play a role in the operation. 

Helping Producers

Matt is in his first year serving on the Lauderdale County Committee. He was aware of county committees because his cousin Chris, a partner in D&C Thornton Farms, served on the Lauderdale committee years ago.

“I wanted to help the FSA office that needed representation in my area of the county, but that also needed someone to be a voice for those producers and help with communicating about programs,” he said. “Committee members are like an extension of what the office staff takes care of, only we’re in the field talking with a lot of producers.”

Matt believes his job as a committee member is to address the concerns of the county producers, to relay questions he gets from other farmers and ranchers to the county office and help the producers get information on programs that might help them with their operation. He also helps FSA make decisions based on program policy and assists in determining application and contract approvals or disapprovals.

It's a job he takes seriously, but also one he really enjoys. 

“For me, it’s knowing that there is farmer and rancher representation when it comes to the programs that affect Lauderdale producers,” he said.

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.

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

“If you’ve been active in farming or ranching for a number of years, the experience you can bring to the committee is invaluable,” he said. “You come away with a better understanding of the agency’s program regulations because you see it first-hand across all programs. The knowledge that you receive from and provide to the committee helps the FSA office and the county producers to ensure programs are administered fairly and within regulation.”

More Information

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

Joshua Ford is the FSA county executive director for Lauderdale County in Alabama.