WASHINGTON

Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced today that the 2012 FSA county committee elections will begin on Monday, Nov. 5, with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 3, 2012.  

“The role and input of our county committee members is more vital than ever,” said Garcia. “New county committee members provide input and make important decisions on the local administration of disaster and conservation programs. With better participation in recent years, we also have seen promising increases in the number of women and minority candidates.”

Eligible voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can obtain ballots from their local USDA Service Center. Dec. 3, 2012, is the last day for voters to submit ballots in person to local USDA Service Centers. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 3. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2013.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm also may be eligible to vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate nominations during the nomination period, which ended Aug. 1.

While FSA county committees do not approve or deny farm operating loans, they make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other agricultural issues. Members serve three-year terms. Nationwide, there are about 7,700 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to 11 members that are elected by eligible producers.

More information on county committees, such as the new 2012 fact sheet and brochures, can be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov\elections or at a local USDA Service Center.

(StatePoint)

Job hunting can be a frustrating experience. Many times you can apply for what seems like the perfect job only to never hear back. With most open positions receiving an overwhelming number of applicants these days, it’s extremely important to set yourself apart from the pack. The most essential part of landing an interview is your résumé. Often your résumé is the only representation of you a hiring manager has. Typically, employers don’t spend more than a minute or two looking over a résumé -- a small amount of time to make a great impression. “Landing an interview for the job you want is hard enough, especially now with so many people going after the same position,” says Michael McAuliffe, President of Family Credit Management, a non-profit consumer credit counseling service. “If your résumé contains flaws, from poor choice in wording to an overly-complicated format, then your chances of getting a call go from slim to none.” Give yourself every chance possible to get the job. Make your résumé stand out among the crowd by following these four tips.

Proofread!

A misspelling or grammatical error on a resume could lead to your résumé getting tossed out at first glance. Use spell check and have a friend or family member look it over as well. You never know where an error could be lurking on the page.

Get Expert Help

Expert résumé review, such as the service offered by Family Credit Management, can be an invaluable resource for any job-seeker. Seasoned hiring professionals look over résumés to correct any mistakes and offer advice as to how the résumé can be improved and be better received by prospective employers. Some companies charge for this service, but non-profits like Family Credit Management offer their expertise for free. You can e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get feedback on your résumé and cover letter. You can also find contact information and more information about Family Credit Management’s services at www.familycredit.org.

Be Appropriate

A major red flag for hiring managers is an inappropriate email address. You don’t want to be remembered as a joke, you want to stand out for your abilities. “With free email services like Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo, there is no reason not to have a generic email address consisting simply of your name,” says McAuliffe.

Formatting

Hiring managers need to be able to quickly find the information that matters most to the position. Using an unusual format could cause some of your accomplishments to get lost in the jumble. Make it as simple as possible for the hiring manager and stick with a traditional format. So take good care of your résumé. It is the first step to landing the job you want.

(StatePoint)

It’s never too soon to get your child interested in current events -- and doing so can have many positive benefits, from building vocabulary and improving writing, to encouraging active and engaged citizenship.  While the news might seem “boring” at first to kids, there are steps you can take to show them just how interesting and exciting current events can be:

Read Together

Ensure that your home subscribes to a daily paper. Let your children pick which articles they want to read and help them with words and concepts they don’t understand. Read at least a few front page news articles together and then allow them to skip to whichever sections of the paper they find the most interesting. Many magazines run kids’ editions in print or online, such as Time, Sports Illustrated and National Geographic. Subscribe your child to an age-appropriate magazine or newspaper. Most children are already well-versed in using the Internet for acquiring information. Guide your children to trusted online news sources that they can access on their own.

Encourage Hands-On Learning

Often the most effective way to spark your child’s interest is to offer him or her hands-on learning opportunities. Encourage your child to join the school newspaper or the school’s television news program. Even as budget cuts loom in schools, private companies are helping schools offer their students unique educational opportunities. The Panasonic Kid Witness News program for example, a hands-on program designed to help children develop creative, cognitive and communication skills, has provided more than 150,000 children around the world access to top-notch video production equipment and an opportunity to learn a new skill they can use to make fun newscasts that are relevant to their daily lives. Each year, schools are encouraged to submit student videos on set themes and topics in formats such as newscasts, documentaries, dramas and commercials to a national and potentially global contest. Winning schools receive a package of Panasonic products that will enhance classroom learning. The videos show “the world through their eyes.” For more information, visit www.panasonic.net/kwn. “It’s important to get kids to share how they see the world. This is a perception we don't usually see in the news,” says Joseph Taylor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America. “It’s a valuable perspective that mainstream media usually misses.”

Watch Together

Make watching the news together a part of your evening routine. Remember, kids have limited attention spans –- so avoid the never ending 24-hour news programming and opt for a half-hour program that highlights all the day’s top stories succinctly. Use commercial breaks and dinnertime to discuss what you watched. If you’re worried that the imagery will be too graphic or mature, consider recording it first and sharing with your child only the parts you feel comfortable with.  By encouraging your kids to keep up with current events, you can help them gain valuable perspective and understand the world around them.