Rep. Randy Feenstra, U.S. Representative for Iowa's 4th District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Randy Feenstra, U.S. Representative for Iowa's 4th District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Hull), along with other members of Iowa's congressional delegation and Governor Kim Reynolds, has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to relocate Agricultural Research Service (ARS) projects to Ames, Iowa. This request comes as part of the USDA’s ongoing reorganization efforts.
The group addressed their request to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, emphasizing that Ames is already home to one of the largest concentrations of USDA facilities and employees outside Washington, D.C. They argued that moving ARS projects to Ames would benefit farmers, producers, and families across the country.
“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,” the lawmakers wrote.
They also noted similarities between research at Maryland’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and efforts at Iowa State University: “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.”
The letter 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.”
Feenstra has represented Iowa’s 4th district in Congress since 2021 after succeeding Steve King. He previously served in the Iowa Senate from 2009 until his election to Congress https://feenstra.house.gov/about. Feenstra was born in Hull in 1969 where he continues to reside.
A full copy of their letter is available online.
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