WASHINGTON, D.C. – After announcing a plan to completely overhaul the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the subsequent outcry from agricultural commodity organizations and some members of Congress, a public comment period has been announced by the agency.
“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,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins.
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said, “President Trump made clear his second term would include relocating the sprawling federal bureaucracy to locations outside the National Capital Region. The department’s July 24 memorandum begins to deliver on this promise and does so in a way that right-sizes the USDA footprint, eliminates unnecessary management layers, consolidates redundant or duplicative functions, and, most importantly, allows USDA to deliver on its mission to the American people within the bounds of its available financial resources.”
But others disagree with that assessment.
Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, said, “A reorganization of this scale will impact USDA’s ability to provide critical services to Americans and undermine the Agency’s trusted expertise that farmers and families count on.
Klobuchar was among those who demanded Congressional hearings on USDA’s plan, and pushed for a public comment period.
The reorganization proposal will close USDA offices in Washington, D.C., and consolidate operations to five regional hubs: Raleigh, NC; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Fort Collins, CO; and Salt Lake City, UT. Approximately 2,600 USDA employees will be relocated.
In response, Rod Larew, president of National Farmers Union (NFU), said, “Farm communities are facing urgent challenges. While NFU supports efforts to enhance USDA efficiency and service delivery, we are concerned that large-scale restructuring or relocation of agency offices could result in significant staff turnover, loss of institutional knowledge and service disruptions, at a time when farmers, ranchers and their communities critically depend on these services to stay afloat. NFU will closely monitor these developments to ensure that any major changes are strategic and that the needs of family farmers and ranchers remain the top priority.”
USDA is conducting the reorganization under its authority established in the Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.; 7 U.S.C. 2201 note) and The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354). The secretarial memorandum delegates authority to the Deputy Secretary and underscores USDA’s focus on efficiency, geographic diversity, and long-term sustainability.
How to Submit Comments
All stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners – are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov.
The comment period is open through August 26, 2025.