Letter to Congress around NRCS and USDA staffing

Dear Chairs and Ranking Members,

We appreciate recent efforts by Congress and the Administration to strengthen long-term agricultural investments, including conservation funding and farmer-focused initiatives. However, funding alone does not solve delivery challenges. Programs cannot function effectively if USDA lacks the workforce needed to administer them.

We write to you in regards to appropriately funding and staffing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As you know, federal agricultural policy does not succeed or fail based solely on what is written into law. It succeeds or fails based on whether USDA has the people and resources needed to deliver programs to farmers and ranchers on the ground.

We write as farmers and ranchers who depend on USDA staff and offices in our communities,  including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) . USDA personnel  to help us manage risk, access conservation assistance, secure critical financing–ultimately helping to keep our operations viable.

USDA employees work directly with farmers and ranchers like us, walk our fields, process applications and payments, design conservation plans, administer disaster assistance, and ensure programs approved by Congress actually reach the producers they are intended to serve.

Recent staffing losses across USDA raise serious concerns. According to the USDA Office of the Inspector General, thousands of USDA staff positions were lost in 2025, including reductions of 22 percent at NRCS and 24 percent at the Farm Service Agency. We all are used to doing more with less, but for farmers and ranchers, staffing losses mean longer wait times, delayed payments, reduced technical assistance, and fewer staff available to help navigate increasingly complex programs and situations that could be the difference for a family farm staying in business or closing its doors.

At the same time, farmers and ranchers are facing unprecedented pressures. Input costs remain high, commodity markets are volatile, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and destructive. Even the best-run operations cannot manage these challenges alone. USDA programs are essential tools that help farmers and ranchers weather uncertainty, protect working lands, and maintain a stable food and agriculture system.

Efficiency should mean better service for farmers and ranchers, not fewer people available to do the work. Cutting staffing without addressing growing demand risks creating bottlenecks that undermine the very programs farmers and ranchers rely on. A strong, farmer-first USDA requires adequate staffing, modern tools, and stable funding to meet the evolving, real-world needs of our producers.

As Congress continues deliberations on the Farm Bill, agriculture assistance, and annual appropriations, we urge you to ensure we have a strong USDA that is fully staffed, funded, and equipped to serve American farmers and ranchers.

Thank you for your leadership and for your continued commitment to the farmers and ranchers who produce our nation’s food, fuel, and fiber.

Sincerely,