Ag Policy Blog

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Trump administration on Wednesday announced orders to move a large share of staffs from multiple agencies out of the Washington, D.C., area.

Announcements were made to move employees from the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service and Rural Development to various offices in Missouri, Maryland and Texas as well as the regional hubs in Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

As DTN reported earlier this month, thousands of employees will have to decide within the next month if they are willing to relocate to keep their jobs.

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

Parts of Foreign Agricultural Service will move to Kansas City, Missouri, and many employees to the George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville, Maryland. USDA announced FAS "will establish an operational support hub in Kansas City" and phase in much of its D.C.-based staff to Beltsville "while a smaller Washington-based contingent will remain in Washington, D.C."

"This modernization effort does not include any reduction in force and focuses entirely on domestic headquarters functions; no overseas staff or diplomatic posts are affected," a news release said.

Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden added, "Our promise to the American people requires us to make tough but necessary decisions -- including ending wasteful spending on underused facilities and modernizing organizational structures that don't fit today's needs," Vaden said in the release. "By acting now, we're positioning the Foreign Agricultural Service -- and the entire department -- to continue serving the American people for generations to come."

RURAL DEVELOPMENT MOVING TO ST. LOUIS, DALLAS

USDA will relocate "select" jobs from the Rural Development agency from the National Capital Region to St. Louis, Missouri, and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas.

"These new?locations will serve as operational hubs supporting loan and grant processing, program management, and?maintain?our?mission of?serving?rural communities," USDA stated.

The action was announced without the confirmation of an Agriculture undersecretary for rural development. President Trump has nominated Glen Smith, a board member of the Farm Credit Administration, for the position. The Senate Agriculture Committee has approved his nomination, but the full Senate has not acted on it.

"Rural Development is, by name and by function, fully focused on the rural communities we serve," said?Todd Lindsey, acting undersecretary for rural development. "This reorganization injects new attention to our systems and processes that will eliminate unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, improve our ability to engage with our customers, and conduct responsible oversight of federal investments."?

In the news release, the Trump administration said, "Rural Development maintains one of the largest field-based presences in the federal government, with more than 3,000 employees serving in over 400 offices throughout rural America. This action follows USDA's July 24, 2025, announcement outlining the department's intent to reorganize around four pillars: aligning workforce size with available resources, relocating resources closer to customers, eliminating excess management layers, and consolidating support functions. Rural Development's restructuring reflects these priorities and positions the mission area to better meet emerging operational demands while continuing its support for rural America.

USDA said a key part of Rural Development's modernization will be driving upgrades to its information technology (IT) infrastructure.

"USDA is launching the transformation of over 130 loan and grant systems that support farmers, ranchers, and rural communities into one modern platform built for the 21st century. This upgrade will enable customers to submit applications, track cases, access records, and resolve issues online 24/7 without staff intervention. Modernized IT will reduce delays created by outdated systems and enhance consistency and speed across programs."

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE

A reorganization of AMS was also announced. The announcement noted 90% of AMS employees are already "in the field" and said, "AMS mission areas will continue uninterrupted, with no reduction in force. The agency will gradually reduce its National Capital Region footprint, with most future hiring occurring in USDA hubs or field offices."

"To enhance efficiency and better align with USDA priorities, AMS will reduce siloing in its Fair Trade Practices Program by moving commodity-specific functions to the appropriate AMS commodity or service programs," the Trump administration said in a USDA news release.

"For example, oversight of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act will shift to the Specialty Crops Program, and the Packers and Stockyards Division will move to the Livestock and Poultry Program," the release continued.

"This realignment will deepen collaboration, streamline communication, and provide industry stakeholders with a single, clear point of contact for AMS-related issues," the administration said.

DTN Business Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Also see, "Move or Leave: USDA Employees Hit With Relocation Orders Across Agencies,"

https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on social platform X @hagstromreport

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