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Area Farm Service Agencies May Merge

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Will Buss, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Sep. 29--Metro-east farmers in St. Clair and Monroe counties could someday seek help from the same Farm Service Agency office.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking to consolidate its Farm Service Agency offices across Illinois. State executive director Bill Graff has issued a list of 26 offices across the state selected for potential restructuring. They include the offices in Monroe, Randolph, Bond, Washington and Jersey counties.

Illinois Farm Service Agency spokesman Joe Alexander said the agency wants to find the best place to put an office that can better serve farmers in a two-county area.

"What we are we trying to do is provide a better staff and office to continue to serve our farming population," Alexander said.

He said offices in St. Clair and Monroe counties could be merged, and also suggested the Randolph County and Perry County offices could become one.

Tom Jett, manager of the Farm Bureau for St. Clair and Madison counties, said he is concerned about how a merger between St. Clair and Monroe counties or anywhere else could change service. He said he has a lot of questions for the agency.

"It's a shame they didn't have these issues ironed out yet, before it hit the press, because we will have a lot of people wondering," Jett said. "I'm curious what they have in mind. I don't know."

He added, "I can't see the level of service going up unless they have a new twist on technology or something, I don't know."

Alexander said the consolidation would not involve any reductions in staff, but he didn't know if it will mean construction of new offices.

Alexander said Graff is looking to submit a finalized list of proposed offices to be consolidated in Illinois to Washington, D.C. by Nov. 15.

"What we will be doing is gathering input and trying to figure out the best location and ways to consolidate these offices and continue to serve the farmers," Alexander said.

Jett said, "Apparently, their list of counties is pretty firm. I don't think they know, yet, what their plans are in terms of combining counties."

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Copyright (c) 2005, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

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Source: Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.)

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