Municipalities and academic institutions across the country are trying to persuade USDA to move the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture to their communities.

USDA’s Innovation Center is making it easier for rural America to qualify for funding from the Office of Rural Development’s $222 billion loan portfolio and $36.6 billion in fiscal 2018 appropriated funds. It’s all part of an administration push to create more rural jobs and boost economic growth.

The average farmer probably won’t notice anytime soon that the 2014 farm bill has expired, but producers who try to sign up for some conservation programs could be turned away, and some commodity groups will have to go without some trade promotion funding on which they have counted.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has an alternate plan to end the U.S. trade war with China and the Trans-Pacific Partnership is key to its success, the cabinet member and former Georgia governor told Agri-Pulse in an interview.

Opposition to moving the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of Washington, D.C., continues to mount, with the National Farmers Union the latest to voice concern about USDA's proposal.