Failing to place one of five U.S. Department of Agriculture hubs in California is as ludicrous as thinking you can grow bananas on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. That is exactly what Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is doing with her reorganization plans to decentralize the Washington, D.C.-based department whose portfolio includes farming, forestry, nutrition and food safety. Rollins announced the revamping of the 100,000-employee department by pushing the majority of the workforce into hubs in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina, Indiana and Missouri. … Overlooking the country’s top ag-producing state for a hub is a mistake. No other state comes close to California’s $59.46 billion in cash receipts for all commodities.

Other USDA news:

• The Hill: Senators pick at USDA reorganization proposal
• Denver7 (Colo.): USDA moving workers out of Washington, D.C., to five new hubs, including Fort Collins
• DTN Progressive Farmer: Deputy ag secretary defends USDA reorganization proposal to Senate ag committee
• The Center Square: Lawmakers question USDA’s plan to relocate over half of D.C.-based workforce
• Brownfield Ag News: USDA relocation plan gets mixed response