A massive turnover in staff is happening at USDA and that’s the #6 ag story for the Red River Farm Network in 2025. According to a report from the USDA inspector general, more than 20,000 employees left the Agriculture Department during the first five months of the Trump presidency. That’s roughly 20 percent of the USDA staff. Most of those employees left through the DOGE financial incentive program. More than 30 percent of the staff left the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Twenty-four percent of the Farm Service Agency employees and 22 percent of the NRCS staff left the Ag Department. USDA also announced plans for a major reorganization. “Republicans and Democrats for the most part would agree that Washington becoming such a massive hub for government is not healthy for America,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The USDA plans to relocate over 2,000 employees from Washington, DC, to five regional hubs in Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City.
