Nomination meetings to fill three positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) Board of Directors will be held Dec. 10 in Ocilla, Vienna and Americus.

The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation will conduct the meetings during which peanut producers will nominate peers to represent the Peanut Commission’s Districts 2, 4 and 5.

The terms of the commission members who currently represent these districts expire Dec. 31, 2018.

“I encourage peanut farmers in these districts to attend the meeting for their respective district and participate in making nominations for these Peanut Commission positions,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long said. “The Georgia Peanut Commission plays an important role in promoting the industry, conducting research and educating producers and the public about industry issues.”

The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated.

The GPC District 2 nomination meeting will be held at the Irwin County Farm Bureau office located at 495 Lax Highway, Ocilla, Georgia, at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Armond Morris is the incumbent in the district. Counties in District 2 include Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth.

The GPC District 4 nomination meeting will be held at the Dooly County Farm Bureau Office located at 126 Church Street, Vienna, Georgia, at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Rodney Dawson of Pulaski County is the District 4 incumbent. Counties in District 4 include Bleckley, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox and Wilkinson.

The GPC District 5 nomination meeting will be held at the Sumter County Farm Bureau Office located at 141 Highway 27 East, Americus, Georgia, at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Donald Chase of Macon County is the district incumbent. Counties in District 5 include Chattahoochee, Clay, Lee, Macon, Marion, Peach, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Terrell and Webster.

Any peanut producer may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting for the peanut district in which he or she lives. Incumbents are eligible for renomination.

If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot at a date to be announced.

Commission by-laws state that a person must receive a majority of the votes cast for a position in order to be elected to the board.

If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the Georgia Peanut Commission Board. Commission members serve terms of three years.

Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. The organization has 158 county offices, and its volunteer members actively participate in activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors.