“USDA is pursuing an aggressive plan to optimize its workforce by eliminating positions that are no longer necessary, bringing its workforce back to the office, and relocating employees out of the National Capital region into our nation’s heartland to allow our rural communities to flourish,” USDA’s press office stated.

The statement added, “Per the President’s directives, Secretary Rollins will lead a new era of USDA to ensure that it is the most efficient, nimble, and innovative department to serve American Agriculture since it was Established by President Abraham Lincoln.”

USDA also cited that the department had terminated 78 contracts, which totaled more than $132 million. Additionally, more than 1,000 contracts are currently under review for potential termination. A full list of the contracts terminated was not provided.

USDA’s press office added, “This is just the beginning. Over the next few days and weeks, Secretary Rollins will have the opportunity to review thousands of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and spending across the agency to ensure that every dollar is being spent as effectively as possible to serve the people, not the bureaucracy.”

Current and newly terminated employees at agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) posted on social media sites such as Reddit that a high percentage of probationary workers were released. Multiple workers still in the probationary period who lost their jobs posted on social media that they had all received the same email terminating them and blaming poor job performance as the reason.

It’s unknown how many NRCS staff were released, but the agency began a push in 2022 to hire 1,600 to 2,000 new employees for conservationists and technical support jobs because of an influx of new program demand tied to the Inflation Reduction Act.

USDA staff had been warned in a department-wide email at the end of January that USDA leaders had submitted a list of all probationary employees to the White House Office of Personnel Management.

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said the moves by agencies across the federal government to cut probationary employees will take away talent that took years to recruit and develop.

“This administration has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office,” Kelley said. He added, “These firings are not about poor performance — there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants.”

A union steward for the AFGE told DTN that probationary staff from USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Economic Research Service (ERS) received layoff notices in the middle of the night Feb. 13 stating they were also being released based on performance.

“The union believes these notification notices are illegal,” the union steward said. “We’re taking the perspective these are illegal firings and the probationary employees should be reinstated.”

Other staff from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) also reportedly received similar termination emails.

It’s unclear if the Farm Service Agency (FSA) was affected. FSA and NRCS make up the bulk of staff at local USDA service center offices in counties around the country. Earlier last week during a House Agriculture Committee hearing, lawmakers and farmers talked about the importance of having local FSA staff to work with producers.

In her remarks, Rollins said farmers are facing a historic economic crisis.

“You all know, and America’s farmers and ranchers know most of all, that American agriculture is in its worst economic straits in nearly a century with grave challenges on prices, on markets and on labor intersecting all at the same time,” Rollins said.

Rollins did not mention how quickly she expects USDA to release $10 billion in economic aid to farmers that Congress passed in December.

Rollins also noted that the country is having a conversation about agriculture, food and health. “These are challenges and conversations we cannot avoid, and we do not wish to do so. We will be at the center of both, and we will meet them both with professionalism and patriotism that is at the foundation of this department and our mission together,” she said.

After highlighting DOGE and its work at USDA, Rollins shifted to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are removed at the department. That includes ending any celebrations or events within the department. “We will end identity politics, identity celebrations and DEI here a USDA and across the federal government,” she said. “We will neither commemorate or celebrate our beautiful characteristics neither among ourselves, nor among Americans at large. We will instead celebrate the things that make America the best country in the world — our merit, our faith and our liberty.”

USDA will focus on its core mission of supporting farmers, ranchers and forestry, Rollins said, by working with the White House and Congress.

While staff are being cut, Rollins also said all staff at USDA will return to the workplace. “Understand that these are not just expectations from me, these are expectations from the American people, and especially our American farmers and ranchers, who deserve nothing less.”

Also see “Brooke Rollins Wins Strong Bipartisan Vote to Become Agriculture Secretary” here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

And see “Small Businesses and Farmers in Financial Limbo as Funding Standoff Continues” here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @ChrisClaytonDTN

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