Weekly Update for
July 31

On July 30, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a full committee hearing to examine the USDA’s proposed reorganization plan. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden, who had assumed office just weeks prior, served as the sole witness. The reorganization, unveiled by Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 24, would relocate approximately 2,600 of the 4,600 USDA employees currently based in the Washington, D.C. area to five regional hubs located in Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. The plan also includes closing several USDA buildings in the capital and consolidating regional and statistical offices, including the Forest Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Proponents within the USDA argue that this restructuring will reduce bureaucratic overhead, lower operational costs, and better align staff with the communities they serve. However, senators on both sides of the aisle raised concerns about the plan’s rushed rollout, lack of consultation with Congress, and the potential disruption to USDA services. Chairman John Boozman criticized the absence of transparency, while Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar called the plan “half-baked”, warning it could undermine food safety, research, wildfire prevention, and civil rights enforcement. Deputy Secretary Vaden struggled to address concerns about employee retention, loss of institutional knowledge, and the continuity of critical programs. The hearing underscored the need for further analysis and congressional oversight as the USDA moves forward with its controversial reorganization.

On July 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization of the USDA aimed at refocusing the agency on its core mission of serving American farmers, ranchers, and foresters. The plan responds to unsustainable growth in workforce and spending over the past four years and includes relocating most USDA National Capital Region staff to five regional hubs, Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. This will reduce the Washington, D.C. staff to around 2,000. The restructuring emphasizes fiscal responsibility, service efficiency, and proximity to stakeholders, while preserving all critical health, safety, and national security functions. Voluntary retirements and deferred resignations have already led over 15,000 employees to exit, and more changes will be rolled out in the following months.

On July 24, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig criticized Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ USDA reorganization plan, calling it a reckless move made without Congressional consultation or stakeholder input. Craig warned the reorganization mirrors a failed 2019 relocation effort during the first Trump administration, which led to a significant loss of institutional knowledge and reduced productivity, particularly at the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Citing a GAO stud that found steep declines in diversity, efficiency, and expertise following that move, Craig urged Chairman Thompson to hold a hearing to examine the rationale, data, and stakeholder impact behind the current reorganization.

On July 28, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $60.9 million disaster block grant to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help farmers recover from Hurricane Helene, making Virginia the second state after Florida to receive such aid under the $30 billion American Relief Act. The funding will cover infrastructure, timber, plasticulture, market, and future economic losses not addressed by other USDA programs. Governor Glenn Younkin and Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr emphasized the grant’s importance in restoring operations and supporting communities affected by the hurricane, particularly in Southwest and Southside Virginia. USDA continues broader disaster relief efforts, including over $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief and $7.8 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance for producers impacted by extreme weather and economic challenges in 2023 and 2024.

On July 30, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led by Chairman John Boozman of Arkansas, advanced the nominations of Michael Boren for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment and Richard Fordyce for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation. Boozman expressed strong support for both nominees, emphasizing their importance in advancing President Trump’s agricultural priorities. The nominations now move to the full Senate for consideration.

On July 29, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to examine industry perspectives on reauthorizing the U.S. Grain Standards Act, which is set to expire in September. Witnesses emphasized the need for timely reauthorization to avoid disruptions in grain inspection services that are critical to domestic and export markets. Industry leaders urged investment in modern technologies like AI and imaging to improve grading accuracy and efficiency. They also recommended giving USDA clearer emergency waiver authority to ensure flexibility during disruptions. Overall, the hearing underscored bipartisan support for maintaining trusted grain standards that uphold U.S. competitiveness in global trade.

Progressive Farmer is doing a great job helping spread the word about the contest and the learnings that are gleaned from the contest.  Check out this page DTN/The Progressive Farmer - National Wheat Yield Contest to learn more.  Spring Wheat Growers, entries are due Friday, August 1 by midnight eastern time.  Everyone is encouraged to enter the contest, categories for Spring are Dryland, Irrigated, and in some states, the pilot Digital Yield for dryland Spring Wheat. 

There are some spots left for the Syngenta Leadership at its Best training to be held in Alexandria, Virginia January 19-23, 2026.  Get your application in by September 1, 2025. For questions, contact Anne Osborne, aosborne@wheatworld.org.