"A Trump administration plan to remove thousands of agriculture employees from Washington, D.C., is raising concerns among economists, who fear that such a move could erode expertise in a workforce reluctant to relocate.

The plan — a cost-saving strategy that would consolidate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operations and bring workers closer to their customers — would move 2,600 out of 4,600 D.C.-based employees to five regional hubs.

The administration’s preferred locations include Fort Collins, Colo.; Salt Lake City; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; and Raleigh, N.C. While all of these cities have existing USDA facilities, it remains unclear where each of the department’s many subgroups would be headed.

“Some of the issues these agencies are trying to address are national issues,” Chad Hart, a professor of agricultural economics at Iowa State University, told The Hill."

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill September 7, 2025. [2]