Agency deep dive · 05
The Department of Agriculture
USDA's FY2026 discretionary request is $22.3 billion, but the number understates its footprint. It runs research laboratories, the national forests and grasslands, and field offices in nearly every county in the country.
That footprint is the opportunity. A department with buildings everywhere needs pest control, fume-hood certification, grounds work and facility maintenance everywhere — bought locally, in small dollars, under simplified acquisition. Both of XL Eagle's USDA awards are exactly that: routine facility services at research sites, in Georgia and in Wisconsin.
How Agriculture is organized
USDA organizes by mission area rather than by bureau, and the mission areas buy independently.
Where the money is
USDA's FY2026 discretionary request is $22.3 billion. Against the other civilian departments:
- Figures are the FY2026 President's Budget request in discretionary budget authority, the same basis used across this series.
- Congress enacted $26.6B in FY2026 discretionary Agriculture appropriations against the $22.3B request.
- USDA's total budget is far larger than the discretionary figure shown; the majority is mandatory spending on nutrition assistance and farm programs, which is not contracted work.
Where we have delivered
Two awards, in two different mission areas, both routine facility services at research sites.
Pest control, Tifton research facility
Interior and perimeter pest control across 23 buildings at an ARS research campus spanning two units — seven buildings serviced monthly and sixteen quarterly — under a base year with four option years.
Tifton · Georgia · in performance
Fume hood and biosafety cabinet recertification
Certification and recertification of laboratory fume hoods and biosafety cabinets at the Forest Products Laboratory. A good example of split administration: the work is in Wisconsin, the contract is administered from Atlanta.
Forest Products Laboratory · Madison, Wisconsin · complete
The mission areas, and what they buy
| Mission Area | What it does | What it typically buys |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Research ServiceARS | USDA's in-house research agency, operating laboratories and research farms nationwide. | Facility services and pest control, laboratory equipment and certification, grounds maintenance, greenhouse and field support. |
| Forest ServiceFS | Manages the national forests and grasslands and runs research laboratories including the Forest Products Laboratory. | Laboratory certification, facility maintenance, road and trail work, fuels treatment, fire support services. |
| Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNRCS | Conservation technical assistance on private working lands. | Engineering and survey services, conservation practice construction, field office support. |
| National Institute of Food and AgricultureNIFA | Funds extramural agricultural research. | Grant administration support, IT, review-panel services. |
| Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAPHIS | Protects animal and plant health, including pest and disease programs. | Field services, laboratory support, trapping and survey work, facility services. |
| Agricultural Marketing ServiceAMS | Grading, standards and marketing programs. | Inspection services, laboratory testing, IT. |
| Food Safety and Inspection ServiceFSIS | Inspects meat, poultry and egg products. | Laboratory services, protective equipment, facility support. |
| Farm Service AgencyFSA | Administers farm loan and commodity programs through county offices. | Office facility services, IT, records management. |
| Food and Nutrition ServiceFNS | Runs SNAP, WIC and school nutrition programs — mostly mandatory spending. | Program integrity services, IT systems, studies and evaluation. |
| Rural DevelopmentRD | Utility, housing and business lending in rural areas. | Engineering review, technical assistance, IT. |
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