02/02/07 Two Idaho FSA offices to close?

Idaho farmers and the state's congressional delegation thought it was ridiculous when the US Department of Agriculture talked about closing a dozen of Idaho's 35 Farm Service Agency offices. That was in October of 2005. When Teresa Lasseter became FSA administrator she told all of the states to review their operation. Idaho FSA director Wayne Hammon says that's exactly what he and his staff did over the last year. HAMMON "We looked at every one of the offices we had and determined that there are two offices that up and running in Idaho that used to be very busy but don't see nearly the traffic that they used to." The two FSA offices slated for closure are in Ada and Kootenai counties. Where fields, farms and dairies once stood, there are houses, schools, stores and offices. HAMMON "Now that will go up for review; the national office has to look at the work load and determine if that makes sense or not. We need to talk to the farmers in those counties and make sure that this is a plan they can live with. It will probably be May or so before we know for sure what's going to happen in these two counties." Ada County farmers would be served by the FSA office in Caldwell while Kootenai farmers would have to go to Plummer instead of Coeur d'Alene. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott