Hawkeye Reporter

Iowa’s congressional delegation and Governor Kim Reynolds have urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move Agricultural Research Service (ARS) projects to Ames, Iowa, as part of the department’s ongoing reorganization efforts.

Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn, Randy Feenstra, and Governor Reynolds sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins advocating for the relocation. The group highlighted Ames’ significant USDA presence and its connection with Iowa State University (ISU).

“Iowa serves as a prime location with its unmatched production of food and fuel. Our state has 35.7 million acres of land, more than 85% of which is used for agriculture. Iowa leads the nation in production of corn, soy, swine, beef, biofuels and more. Located in Ames, Iowa State University (ISU) works closely with the USDA, providing the agency with high-performance computing services to federal researchers,” they wrote.

The letter also referenced research similarities between ISU and current ARS work at Maryland’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: “Many of the studies conducted at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center [located in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.] align with Iowa State University and the Agricultural Research Service’s efforts, including soybean genomics, hydrology and remote sensing, animal genomics, animal biosciences and biotechnology, adaptive cropping systems and bee research.”

Ames already hosts several major USDA facilities such as the ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE), ARS National Animal Disease Center (NADC), ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), ARS Corn Insect and Crop Genetics Research Unit (CICGRU), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NSVL), and APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB). The officials said this existing infrastructure would ease any transition challenges.

The lawmakers also pointed out that grocery prices in Iowa are among the lowest nationally while cost of living is below average: “Not only would Iowa benefit on the research front, but employees would be able to own homes and enjoy the lower cost of living. Iowa falls 10.3% below the average cost of living and ranks the 2nd lowest for grocery prices in 2025.”

They concluded: “As the heart of our nation and a leading agriculture producing state, Iowa brings firsthand knowledge and real-world experience to the USDA. To put it simply, Iowa knows agriculture and would contribute unparalleled opportunities for the agency. We...urge you to bring USDA ARS projects to Iowa’s fields to benefit farmers, producers and families nationwide.”

Iowa leads U.S. egg production with about 45 million laying hens producing roughly 15 billion eggs each year.

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