USDA Reorg Plan ‘About 95%’ Finalized as Feedback Period Begins

Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Sunday that USDA’s plans to move much of its D.C.-based staff to five hubs across the country are ‘about 95 percent’ finalized.”

“‘Most of America seems to love’ the plan, Rollins told reporters during USDA’s farmers market event Sunday. ‘The uniparty here in Washington, D.C., hasn’t been quite as excited about it,'” Yarrow reported. “USDA opened a public comment period on the reorganization plan, after frustration from allies on Capitol Hill and in the agriculture industry who felt surprised by and left out of the plans.”

“‘We worked six months on that plan,’ Rollins said,” according to Yarrow’s reporting. “‘I feel really good about it. If I were to game it, I’d say it’s about 95 percent baked. But always open and willing and excited to get that feedback and I expect a lot more.'”

Progressive Farmer’s Jerry Hagstrom reported that the USDA’s reorganization plan “intends to close the South Building across from the USDA headquarters in Washington, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and other facilities, and move 2,600 of the 4,600 USDA positions in the National Capital Region to five ‘hub’ cities: Raleigh, N.C., Kansas City, Mo., Indianapolis, Ind., Fort Collins, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah.”

Feedback and Comment Period Open Until August 26

Hagstrom reported that “Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Friday that USDA will accept comments on the Trump administration’s plan to reorganize the Agriculture Department for a 30-day period ending Tuesday, Aug. 26.”

“USDA is not using the formal system of submitting comments through the Federal Register. That also means public comments about the reorganization will not be readily available for other people to immediately review,” Hagstrom reported. “Instead, stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov.”

“‘As committed, we are continuing to hear stakeholder feedback on the USDA reorganization,’ Rollins said in a news release,” according to Hagstrom’s reporting. “‘All stakeholders — including Capitol Hill offices, USDA employees, and members of the agricultural community — are encouraged to share their input during the open comment period. We value your perspective as we work to ensure that USDA is best positioned to serve America’s farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities.'”

USDA Plan Developed Without Stakeholder Input, Critics Say

Yarrow reported that “critics of the reorganization plan are continuing to call the administration out for leaving partners out of conversations.” At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee on the reorganization plan on July 30, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden told senators that the USDA had not consulted organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation or the National Farmers Union, for example.

“‘How do you … tell us that you’re trying to improve the service of the agency, that you’re trying to make it work better for farmers and all USDA constituents, if you’re not actually talking to anybody?’ said Robert Bonnie, former undersecretary for farm production and conservation during the Biden administration,” Yarrow reported. “‘Do they want to make it work better for farmers across the country? Good. Go meet with them,’ Bonnie added in an interview.”

Just like Congress and leading farming organizations, the USDA failed to consult with Tribal Nations about its massive reorganization. More from @SenTinaSmith pic.twitter.com/9brqCp9wFp

— Senate Ag, Nutrition, & Forestry Committee Dems (@SenateAgDems) August 1, 2025

In addition, Farm Progress’ Joshua Baethge reported that “Democrat ranking member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., was less diplomatic, calling the plan a ‘half-baked agenda’ that she contends will result in worse service for farmers, families and rural communities.”

“‘I want to point out that this reorganization plan was developed without the input of Congress or the very stakeholders USDA aims to serve,’ Klobuchar said,” according to Baethge’s reporting. “‘It is unacceptable that we learned about this proposal just minutes before it was announced.'”

Progressive Farmer’s Jerry Hagstrom and Todd Neeley reported that “National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Policy Director Mike Lavender said the administration should consult farmers before reorganizing the agency.”

“‘Without input from farmers, the proposed USDA reorganization would close offices and lead to further staff reductions — and ultimately farmers would pay the price,’ he said,” according to Hagstrom and Neeley’s reporting. “‘Improving USDA to better serve farmers and ranchers is a noble undertaking, but today’s announcement fails to connect the dots between a mass staff relocation and the resultant staff loss and expanded economic opportunity for all farmers and ranchers.'”