Minnesota Farmer Says USDA Office Shuffle Leaves Producers in Lurch

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(By Mike Moen. Minnesota News Connection) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the public comment period for a controversial plan involving important services for Minnesota farmers and producers around the country, while skeptics of the proposed reorganization warn of disruptions and threats to food safety.

Over the summer, the federal agency announced a large-scale idea for shaking up the geography of USDA workers, by relocating roughly 2,600 staff based in and around Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs. The Trump administration contends a key benefit is bringing more staff closer to food producers.

Doug Albin, a farmer from Clarkfield, is not so sure, suggesting employees will not want to uproot their lives and move elsewhere.

“We’re liable to lose a lot of the institutional knowledge and the history and people that understand how things work, and are able to facilitate programs coming up for farmers,” Albin cautioned.