Approximately 2,600 D.C.-based USDA jobs will move out of The Beltway and into Kansas City, Raleigh, Fort Collins, Salt Lake City, and Indianapolis very soon. It’s already been announced that SNAP will call Indy home, but when will we know if there’s more?
Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden made his second trip to Indiana in the last month on Tuesday, prompting some to believe an announcement was forthcoming about what USDA agencies and/or departments might be coming to Indianapolis.
That announcement didn’t come on Tuesday, but we do now have a more specific timeline.
“By the end of the month, we will have made all of our reorganization announcements, so you’ll have more idea of what’s coming here to Indianapolis,” Vaden explained.
As Tom Petty famously sang, “The Waiting is the hardest part”.
Vaden did say that Indiana’s “full-court press” in recruiting USDA to Indy has been impressive.
“It is clear to both the Secretary and me that Indiana is all in when it comes to both ag and USDA’s future presence in this state.”
During his last stop to the Hoosier State, he met with not just government representatives, but several members of the agribusiness community as well.
“I have toured all of our five hub locations, and as I shared with the group here today, the Indianapolis and Indiana private sector business community is the most excited community out of any of the five locations about the USDA relocation. That makes a difference. It’s definitely made an impact on me, and there are more good things coming for Indiana.”
Vaden had previously told Hoosier Ag Today that those announcements would come before the start of the school year so families would have time to relocate. It sounds like they’ll follow through on that promise.
