Moving Closer to Farmers

This Week In Ag #126

Just as all politics are local, all farming is local. Terrain, soils, weather patterns, market access and cultural production practices vary dramatically across the Fruited Plain, as do the issues and concerns shaping ag policy. So it only makes sense for the entity that combines politics and farming to go local. Because in an urbanized city located on the banks of the Potomac, run by elephants and donkeys, you don’t see many cows, pigs or chickens, much less corn, wheat or almonds.

Last week, Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization at USDA. That involves relocating many of the agency’s 100,000 employees across five regional hubs: Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Ft Collins and Salt Lake City. Granted, these are still metro areas, large enough to field successful pro sports teams, but they are located within key areas of farm and ranch country. Plus, the culture within these cities is more aligned with rural America. In a campaign pledge during the 2024 Iowa primary, then-candidate Ron DeSantis pledged to move the USDA to farm country. I stated at the time that this was a great idea. It’s all about getting closer to those you serve. That often means meeting them where they live. Sure, USDA boasts over 2,300 Field Service Agency offices across the country to administer local programs. But stepping out of its ivory tower and dispersing half of the current DC staff to the communities they serve – areas where people actually produce much of our food and fiber – does send a positive signal.

Yet USDA may soon need to send more than positivity to its nation’s farmers. Cash bids for corn are now well into the 3s, and soybeans in the 9s, in many inland markets. All while a record 16-billion-bushel US corn crop looms. Prices for specialty crops aren’t too promising either. Yet input costs keep rising. There are many concerns about the financial health of farmers. Whispers of widespread foreclosures, sell-offs and lending restraints are growing louder. It’s time for USDA and Congress to step up. Hopefully, this regional realignment will help. Passing a Farm Bill would really help.