Sacramento Valley water districts are pleading with the Trump administration to spare Central Valley Project workers in its campaign of mass layoffs. The coalition is largely composed of farm water providers but includes Stockton and Sacramento water managers as well as two Bureau of Reclamation districts.
They are calling for a more collaborative approach to government efficiency, as outlined in a letter to the Interior secretary and the acting Reclamation commissioner. The coalition points out that staff cuts to Reclamation would not save money for taxpayers, since it is a fee-based entity.
But eliminating staff would compromise the bureau’s ability to deliver water and power while threatening public health and safety, warn the districts. Those employees “have critical knowledge of the many quirks of our aged infrastructure.”
California’s negotiators over Colorado River water have made the same push to protect Reclamation staff and avoid jeopardizing water deliveries.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Monday the administration has ordered the firing of 100 employees, eliminating about 10% of Reclamation’s regional staff.
2025 Leadership Farm Bureau class announced
The California Farm Bureau just announced its 2025 Leadership Farm Bureau class. The year-long program gives participants a glimpse into ag lobbying and opportunities to meet Sacramento and D.C. officials.
The new class has backgrounds across the ag spectrum, ranging from multigenerational rice farming to pollination consulting.
Class of 2025: Tharvin Gill of Yuba-Sutter County, Alexis Harvey of Solano County, Miranda Jachens of El Dorado County, Alicia Muhr of San Diego County, David Perry of Glenn County, Samantha Piehoff of Sonoma County, Harley Ramirez of Shasta County, John Tamayo of Imperial County.
Newsom orders state employees to return to in-person
Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling employees back in the office, echoing similar moves by the Trump administration. An executive order issued Monday will require all state agency staff to work a minimum of four days a week in person starting July 1.
That doubles the current requirement. Newsom is asking all individual agencies to submit their plans to accommodate the rule no later than April 1.
On that note: The order also asks the state’s human resources agency to match vacant positions with the skillsets of recently terminated federal employees — such as firefighting, weather forecasting and modeling. The state will create a website with resources for federal employees to publicize the opportunities.
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Trump tells farmers to focus on domestic market
President Donald Trump is telling U.S. farmers to get ready to focus on the domestic market ahead of forthcoming tariffs.
“To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States,” Trump wrote. “Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!”
A White House official told Agri-Pulse that the president was referencing the reciprocal tariffs Trump and others have suggested could be ready by April 2.
But multiple producers told Agri-Pulse Monday they were skeptical the domestic market could absorb additional export losses. Many commodities rely heavily on export markets.
Former National Association of Wheat Growers President Gary Broyles told Agri-Pulse that as much as 50% of U.S. wheat is exported. He noted trade and access to foreign markets are “absolutely critical.” Former NAWG President Brent Cheyne added, “There isn't enough population in this country to consume it.”
FSA, NRCS office leases being terminated
The Trump administration is preparing to terminate 58 Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service office leases, according to Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
In a cost-cutting move, the agencies plan to “reevaluate those leases and maybe renegotiate at a lower rate,” Acting FSA Administrator Steven Peterson told Agri-Pulse at the annual Commodity Classic convention and trade show in Denver. The terminations will not go into effect right away, giving agency leaders some time to make plans in case new deals cannot be reached with current tenants, he said.
Read our report for locations of impacted sites.
Democrats to highlight farmers, federal workers at State of the Union
Democrats are preparing to highlight issues facing farmers, consumers and federal workers as Trump delivers his current administration’s first State of the Union address tonight to Congress.
Both House and Senate Agriculture Democrats have invited guests from food banks, farm country and the federal workforce to attend. The guests highlight various issues across the country, including mass firings across federal agencies and the impacts of funding freezes.
Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will be joined by Gary Wertish from the Minnesota Farmers Union. “I thought having Gary there would be a good point to remind all that rural America is out there strong, we have so much potential, and what I'd really like to be working on is things like child care and housing and health care in rural, as well as making sure we get a farm bill done,” Klobuchar said in an interview with Agri-Pulse.
Klobuchar and Wertish both emphasized concerns about tariffs.
“We need the export markets. We can't just replace them overnight,” Wertish said. “The threat of the tariffs puts more downward pressure on our markets and really helps destroy our trust as a reliable trading partner.”
Other guests highlight the impacts of the federal layoffs. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., will bring Jamie Werner to the address. Werner was a Forest Service employee who was fired along with thousands of other probationary federal workers in Colorado, according to Bennet’s office.
From the House side, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., will bring a fired employee from USDA's Agricultural Research Service facility in Salinas. The guest will not be identified by name; in a letter to the congresswoman, they shared that at least half a dozen colleagues were impacted by the cuts to probationary workers.
Other guests include Joe Newland, president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, who will join Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan.; Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, who will join Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, and fifth-generation farmer Karin Reeves, who will join Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, announced that Brad Moline and his daughter Ava Moline — who raise turkeys on their century-old farm in Manson, Iowa — will be his guests.
Final word:
“They will have a very, very negative impact on our industry.” — Kip Eideberg, senior vice president of government and industry relations for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, referring to the new tariffs President Donald Trump is imposing.
Eideberg, speaking at Commodity Classic, said the uncertainty about how high tariffs will be also means companies “don't know day to day, week to week, month to month, whether you will be paying 25% more, 40% more, 60% more.”