Central Valley representatives are teaming up with Sen. Adam Schiff to keep U.S. Department of Agriculture offices open in Bakersfield and Madera, among other locations.
Schiff and Representatives Jim Costa (D–Fresno), Adam Gray (D–Merced) and Salud Carbajal (D–Santa Barbara) led a letter to the USDA and the Department of Government Efficiency to reverse their plans to close nine California USDA offices.
The backstory: The Department of Government Efficiency announced plans to close nine USDA offices in California, including the Farm Service Agency office in Bakersfield.
- Other offices at risk of closing include the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forest Service and Agricultural Marketing Service.
The big picture: The lawmakers wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Stephen Ehikian urging them to reverse the plans to close the offices.
- They argued that the office closures would place an additional burden on farmers and would have downstream impacts on the economics of California’s rural communities.
What they’re saying: “Each year, farmers in Kern County produce billions of dollars worth of produce,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “Farmers will now be forced to drive over an hour to Lancaster or Visalia, the next nearest FSA offices, to access USDA programs.”
- They said the closures come at a time when farmers are already having to navigate an uncertain economy due to USDA funding freezes and the impact of tariffs.
- “USDA field offices play a vital role in providing services to agricultural communities across the state, providing loans, grants, and technical assistance,” they wrote. “These offices provide farmers with a place to meet face-to-face with USDA staff to discuss services and programs they rely on. Closing these vital centers will make it more difficult for farmers to access the essential resources farmers must be able to rely on.”
- They also expressed concern about the staffing cuts that would occur with the closures, adding that it would put additional stress on the remaining USDA workforce.
