| 112th Year, 38th Issue | Thursday, May 3, 2001 | Sparta, North Carolina |
Tight budgets at state levels will probably not have any major dramatic impact on local and area agricultural agencies — such as office closings — in the near future, according to officials.
However, the pinch could affect the quality and number of services offered, as the agencies try to make do with fewer employees. Jennifer Gilbert, director of the Ashe-Alleghany office of Farm Service Agency, said that branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has already experienced a major downsizing within the last five years. During that time, she said, the FSA has gone from 450 employees in North Carolina to 250. "The USDA has undergone a big reorganization," she said. Beginning in 1996, 27 of the 100 FSA offices were closed. That included the Sparta office, which was formerly on the bottom floor of the county office building.
Alleghany County farmers now must travel to Jefferson to sign up for FSA services. "The records are here, they have to sign up for programs at our office," said Gilbert.
She said congress will consider the 2002 Farm Bill next year, which may include additional funding cuts. "What congress does with that bill will determine the FSA's future for the farming community....the future of the USDA and how we operate and what agencies are left at the county level."
However, of the Ashe-Alleghany office, Gilbert said, "I don't think we're in danger of closing." The major reason is because the Jefferson site is the location of one of the eight rural development offices in the state, an office which serves 17 counties. "I think we're solid because of the rural development office," she commented.
Congress has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the building, Gilbert said. The new building was opened last January. She said wiring alone for the building cost $100,000. The government has invested in computer technology for the office, she said, but not in the employees necessary to operate it.
"We're severely understaffed, and we need money....We've done so much with so few employees for so long," she added. "It's just about killed us doing services for farmers."
She said the agency got checks out to farmers but did not have enough personnel to spot-check the payments for accuracy.
The federal budget crunch is not as much of a care for the Cooperative Extension Service. Local Director Bob Edwards said Cooperative Extension is a federal-state-local partnership, and a relatively small portion of its funds come from federal sources.
"Our concern now is the state budget crisis," he said. Although "nothing is concrete yet," state officials are looking at closing some positions and restructuring some offices.
"We were told last week that every job in extension is on the line," Edwards said. He said 35 agents in the state are going out on early retirement, and only two of those positions are targeted to be retained. One of those two is that of Jerry Washington, Christmas tree agent for Ashe and Alleghany counties, who retired effective Monday. Some agents may be replaced by paraprofessional people.
"Some of the bigger counties will get hit first," Edwards said. "I think we're fairly good....As far as direct cuts, I don't see any right now. We're a small county, I don't see many places to cut."
He said the equivalent of three full-time agents and two secretaries comprise the Alleghany staff of the service. He and Washington's positions are each half-time for Alleghany.
Cooperative extension may bring in some help from other locales for
specialized areas such as nursing crops.
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