USDA Reorganization

On February 25, 2026, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden delivered a press conference from the sidewalk outside of the USDA South Building in Washington, DC. In the press conference, USDA leadership shared that the building is being turned over to the General Services Administration and will be put up for sale soon.

Deputy Secretary Vaden outlined that the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) would be the first agency to be relocated in the unfolding
reorganization plan. FNS will be moved from their current office in Alexandria, Virginia to the USDA Yates Building and the USDA George Washington Carver Building located within Washington DC. The other agencies will be moved into other buildings within the district or moved out to one of five hubs. Agencies will be notified of their moves in the coming months with the relocation completed before the start of the next school year. This will include the US Forest Service Office located in Albuquerque, NM.

In 2019, when APHIS and NIFA were relocated from the National Capital Region to Kansas City, Missouri, many employees left their positions rather than move to the new location. Currently, USDA employment is down by 20%, and that number is only expected to grow as employees are requested to relocate. Between normal attrition, the deferred resignation program, retirements, and other departures, USDA lost over 20,300 employees in 2025.

When the reorganization was originally announced, USDA provided the opportunity for the public to submit comments. USDA released a summary of the 14,000 comments received on the move. The vast majority of the comments were not supportive of the move, and some of the top feedback included a request that USDA create a comprehensive plan.

The Department does not appear to be changing the course of the reorganization as a result of the public comment. At the event with the National Agricultural Law Center, Deputy Secretary Vaden stated that there is not a choice.

The Administration is justifying the move by saying that the Department is meant to serve rural America and should be close to the populations it serves. However, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Salt Lake City are all the largest cities in their respective states, and Raleigh and Fort Collins are second and fourth respectively.

Photo credit – Neal – stock.adobe.com