The Farm Service Agency office in Jamestown is closing.

Jeffery S. Hall, that agency’s state executive director, this week announced that Kentucky is to close 13 local Service Center Offices in the final phase of restructuring that began in 2007.  The Jamestown FSA office is being moved to the Columbia Service Center in Adair County effective January 6th. The FSA Office in Columbia is located at 961 Campbellsville Rd., 888-758-6634.

“Consolidation of offices is necessary due to reduced staffing and continued budget cuts,” said Hall.  “The restructuring process began in 2005, when Kentucky’s staffing was cut by 51 employees.  With the end of the tobacco price support program.”

When the restructuring is completed Hall said Kentucky will have 69 FSA offices in the commonwealth’s 120 counties.

The FSA makes direct payments to farmers, commodity and facility loans, assistance to cover natural disasters, and programs to promote good environmental stewardship.  FSA extends credit to family farmers who are unable to obtain credit from conventional sources.

The last of the local staff have been in the Jamestown office packing up files.

An agency spokesman said that farmers have the right to have their farm records moved to another county if it is easier for them to go to Pulaski, Wayne, Casey or Clinton County than it is to go to Adair.

Many of the agency’s forms are also now available online.

Information on FSA programs is available at the local FSA County Office or on-line at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ky/