As the United States Department of Agriculture consolidates operations away from Washington DC and into five new “hubs” across the country, Iowa was named among the early favorites for one of those locations — but it’s not going to happen. Kansas City is the final choice for the region, according to a memo from US Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to her staff. Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says relocating USDA offices can benefit the people the agency serves.
The process is to take place over the next few years. Along with Kansas City, the hubs are to be located in: Indianapolis, Indiana; Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Raleigh, North Carolina. The agency moved two research agencies to Kansas City in 2019: the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Ag. Chinn says having USDA personnel close to land-grant institutions and ag research has been positive.
Iowa State University is a land-grant university. The Rollins memo noted how Kansas City has a lower cost of living compared to Washington D.C., and she noted the USDA will continue to maintain critical agency service centers in locations like St. Louis. Robert Bonnie, a former USDA Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation, says strong relationships between the agency and land-grant universities are important, but he’s not sold on the hub plan.
Bonnie says relocating the agency makes it more difficult for farmers and others to get information from the agency. The number of jobs that will come with the Kansas City move is unknown.
