I don't recommend reading the whole thing thoroughly unless you are some kind of really deranged type of voyeur, but there are some interesting tidbits:

Vaden was in Indianapolis on May 14 and commented that they were still looking for office space. Also, he stated that they are still considering what parts of the USDA besides SNAP might move there.

He hints that the rest of the mission areas will be announced by the summer, but with two weeks left and all of that up in the air....

How long are we going to be exploited by this administration? Most of us have been working one or two grades higher than we should be for over a year with double or triple the workload and no pay increases. When does leadership get a backbone and stand up for employees and the mission? Can we file grievances for this bullshit? I’m about to put in my two weeks but I know it’s not worth it. How can we fight back against what they are doing? So many of our staff areas they can’t or won’t fill behind but are completely demolished due to the DRP.

Heard that an appointee for RD announced at a conference week that the reorg announcement would be out this month? Seems crazy to announce RD before some of the others that were targeted unless they are rolling out a bunch. May is half over!

Is it practical for them to implement such a large-scale relocation within such a short time frame? How will they secure enough funding for it? I still have doubts about it and am not sure how to plan my next steps. Only after I receive a firm relocation notice and confirmation of relocation financial assistance, such as reimbursement for house selling commission costs, would I consider spending time and money on home improvements before putting my house on the market, if I accept relocation offer, I am undecided so far. It is stressful to think about all of this.

Great job, Brooke Rollins and team!

Thoughts on the chief stepping down?

What are our thoughts on Colton Buckley?

Perhaps a relevant piece around the core group of people this department serves. Interesting findings, but I would be surprised if this was reflected in any meaningful change in voting patterns in the midterms this year.

From the poll:

Input costs are crushing American farmers. 78% of farmers name machinery and input costs — fertilizer, fuel, seed, chemicals — among the top three challenges facing their operation. No other issue comes within 30 points

The Iran War is hitting farms in the wallet. 94% of farmers say the war with Iran is impacting their business by raising fertilizer costs, energy costs, or both.

Tariffs are an open wound for the farmers most directly exposed **- and a quiet pressure on producers broadly.**A quarter of farmers (25%) flagged trade policy and tariffs as one of their top three challenges - the third-highest concern after input costs and commodity price volatility. Tariffs also impact the top two challenges farmers named: fertilizer, fuel, seed, and chemical inputs are subject to import duties and supply-chain pressures, and commodity prices respond directly to export-market access.

 
Farmers say federal policy is hurting them. 55% of farmers say federal policies have had a negative effect on their farming operation over the past year. Just 19% say federal policy has helped.
26% said it would make them less likely to be able to pass on their farm to the next generation. 

Farmers point to the current administration as responsible: About one in four farmers (24%) ranks the current administration as the single most responsible for the challenges facing agriculture today — the highest of any tested group.

Farmers feel unheard. 73% of farmers say their elected officials understand the realities farmers face "not very well" or "not at all."

Neither party is trusted. On every economic issue tested — input costs, trade, healthcare, farm income, debt, and labor — between one in five and one in three farmers say they trust neither party to deliver for them.

Roughly four in ten farmers are politically uncertain. 39% of farmers are persuadable from their usual party in 2026 — they are either considering voting for a different party, considering an independent or third-party candidate, considering not voting, or are unsure how they will vote. This includes 35% of farmers who "usually vote" Republican, and 15% of farmers who say they "always vote" Republican.

Among the persuadable farmers, neither party is trusted. On every economic issue tested — input costs, trade, healthcare, farm income, debt, and labor — between roughly four in ten and half of persuadable farmers say they trust neither party to deliver for them.

Turnout intent is unusually high. 54% of farmers say they are MORE motivated to vote in the upcoming election than in the last cycle. Only 5% say they are less motivated.

 

The findings are particularly notable because the surveyed universe is overwhelmingly Republican. Six in ten farmers surveyed say they "always" (30%) or "usually" (29%) vote Republican, and just 6% say they typically vote for a Democratic candidate. The dissatisfaction documented in the survey is coming from inside the President's own political base.

It appears that all the agencies are reviewing everyone's RA. Does this mean they'll try to make us go back to the office vs remote work?

Joe Rich just called an impromptu all-hands meeting to tell us all relocating BARC employees will be relocated by the end of FY2026 (September 30th). He has no information about how this all be possible.

As a Christian myself, I was somewhat taken aback by Secretary Rollins posting of the Easter He is Risen email. I, as many of my co-workers, didn’t think the email was appropriate. This isn’t the first time our Secretary has posted messages to USDA staff and the public that either violated the Hatch Act or gave the impression of bias. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light to the world. In the current political landscape, that post did the opposite in my opinion. I expect a Secretary of USDA to present better than that. Just my opinion.

Well, at least they're STRONG concerns. Keep that verbiage coming!

For those in FNS facing relocation, what’s your plan?

Are you riding it out to see what happens, actively applying elsewhere, or planning to relocate? The uncertainty and lack of concrete information has left a lot of us unsure of what to do, and I’d love to hear how others are approaching it.

If you were offered a role outside of USDA, would you take it?

View Poll

This was very interesting in the FAQ's for FSIS. All those with current RA's will need to reapply for a new RA if you are directly reassigned or your duty station is changed. This will pause relocation until the new RA request has been adjudicated. And most importantly, those who reapply for their RA and are granted a new telework RA will not be relocated.

Sounds like they are trying to follow the law and go through an individualized process for each employee with a RA to avoid expensive EEOC lawsuits.

What if I have an existing reasonable accommodation (RA) and receive a directed reassignment letter for outside the NCR or change of duty station within the NCR?

Reasonable accommodations apply to an individual employee and are based on their accommodation needs combined with the specifics of their duty station.  With a management directed reassignment or change of duty station, one half of that equation changes, and the circumstances and accommodations needed for the new location may be different. That means a new RA will need to be requested by the employee for any accommodations needed at their new location. 

If an employee has an existing RA and has received a change of duty station or management directed reassignment, and they have accepted that reassignment, the employee will need to apply for a reasonable accommodation based on their new location and workspace. This will allow the agency to consider the employee’s individual needs and ensure that the most effective accommodations are in place at the new duty station. If the employee’s reasonable accommodation involves telework or remote work, the employee will not start the relocation process until their new RA request has been adjudicated. That process may take some time. If an RA that involves fully remote work (sometimes referred to as “fulltime telework”) is granted through that new request, the employee will not be subject to relocation.

FNS created a reorg page on their website, along with the new org chart and State assignments

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/fna-organization-preliminary-updated.pdf