WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday a sweeping reorganization, relocating 2,600 employees from the Washington, D.C., area to five new regional hubs and vacating several key buildings in the capital, including its main research center.
Will the USDA’s big move redefine how it serves America’s farmers? The agency aims to bring its operations closer to the people it supports, but the plan has already drawn criticism from lawmakers for a lack of consultation.
- The USDA is relocating 2,600 staff out of the D.C. area to five new regional hubs.
- This move includes vacating the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland and a headquarters building on the National Mall.
- The agency expects no more than 2,000 employees to remain in the Washington, D.C., area after the reorganization.
- Key congressional leaders expressed surprise and concern over the lack of prior consultation.
The planned move will significantly shrink the USDA’s footprint in the nation’s capital. By the project’s conclusion, only about 2,000 employees will remain in the Washington area. The bulk of the agency’s workforce, 2,600 individuals, will be distributed among new hubs in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City.
Among the vacated buildings is the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, the department’s flagship research facility, along with one of its main headquarters buildings situated on the National Mall.
“American agriculture feeds, clothes and fuels this nation and the world,” stated Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “It is long past time the department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers and producers we are mandated to support.”
Rollins added that the move aligns with President Trump’s agenda to enact change in Washington by decentralizing key services. “We are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,” she said.
The reorganization is part of a broader effort by the administration to manage and potentially downsize the federal workforce. While not a direct staff reduction, the relocation is linked to workforce adjustments. The agency noted that a significant portion of its workforce reduction has occurred through voluntary retirements and its Deferred Retirement Program, with over 15,000 employees—about 15% of the total workforce—accepting financial incentives to resign.
Congressional leaders, however, were not informed of the plan beforehand. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), along with House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.), all released statements expressing disappointment and calling for hearings.
“The best way to serve our agriculture community is by working together,” Boozman said, noting the lack of advance consultation was disappointing.
Craig echoed this sentiment, stating the announcement without prior notice or input from Congress or stakeholders suggests a disregard for lessons learned from past reorganization efforts. She warned this approach risks undermining the effectiveness of agencies supporting family farmers.
Further adjustments include consolidating the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s twelve offices into five. The Forest Service also plans to close its nine regional offices within the next year, with “ongoing fire season” being a consideration in the timing.
Staff within the Agricultural Research Service are already feeling the strain of increased workloads following voluntary resignations, according to employee Ethan Roberts. “Many will not take the [relocation] offer, and we will lose even more administrative employees that are critical to the everyday functioning of the USDA and ARS,” he stated.
