On July 24, 2025, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The main impact of this reorganization project will be to move USDA employees out of Washington, DC to one of the USDA’s five regional hub locations, in Raleigh, NC, Kansas City, MO, Indianapolis, IN, Fort Collins, CO, and Salt Lake City, UT.
Currently, 4,600 of the USDA’s 100,000 employees work in the National Capital Region; the reorganization will leave only 2,000 employees in DC and will involve closing the South Building, Braddock Place, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The South Building was constructed in 1930 and has office space for 6,000 people but is currently occupied by only 1,900 employees due to previous relocations and staffing cuts.
The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) was established in 1910 and has been the flagship research station for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ever since. Down to 6,000 acres from a much larger 10,500 acres at the USDA’s centennial in 1962, BARC is still the largest agricultural research farm in the United States.
The BARC facility has been badly maintained in recent years, with at least one building being closed after a flood from a water pipe failure in 2023. In a recent investigation, the Office of Special Counsel found “pervasive safety deficiencies in many of the facilities and structures at BARC, including a general lack of housekeeping; excessive dirt and grime; flaking and peeling paint; damaged flooring; active and post flooding and other water intrusions; mold; and a lack of potable water.”
Researchers at BARC had hoped that USDA would repair the facility rather than closing it, arguing that relocation will result in a loss of long-term research projects, data, staff, and institutional knowledge. The ARS researchers at BARC were told in a staff meeting that “they likely would be moved to one of the 95 locations across the country where ARS conducts research rather than to one of the five hubs Rollins identified.”
It is not yet clear what impact, if any, the USDA reorganization will have on eco-agriculture. As with most agricultural research stations, only a fraction of the research currently being conducted at BARC is of practical relevance to organic farmers. For example, “Soil, Crop, and Manure Biochemistry and Molecular Ecology: Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Microbiome Response to Management” might benefit eco-ag farmers; “Regulation of Reproduction in Turkey Hens by Thyroid Hormones” probably won’t. The relocation will be a multi-year process to allow completion of current research projects.
If you’d like to comment on the USDA’s reorganization plan, the 30-day public comment period is open until August 26. Just email your feedback to reorganization@usda.gov.
