Sam Berry, chief information officer (CIO) at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is moving to a new role within the department focused on implementing its One Farmer, One File modernization initiative, USDA told MeriTalk.
“Sam Berry has been a tremendous USDA CIO,” a USDA spokesperson told MeriTalk. “He will now be assuming a new role at USDA where he will be focused on the implementation of One Farmer One File.”
Berry has served as the CIO since September 2025, when he took over the role from longtime USDA CIO Gary Washington. Berry joined USDA earlier that year as a special advisor from the Department of Government Efficiency.
The spokesperson did not say who will take over as acting CIO. Federal News Network reported that Tony Brannum, USDA’s chief information security officer, will serve as acting CIO.
USDA announced its One Farmer, One File modernization initiative on Feb. 26 as an effort to create a centralized record system for farmers. The effort will retire legacy systems and reduce duplication across agency systems; it’s expected to be complete in 2028, according to the department.
In April, USDA announced it signed a $300 million agreement with Palantir Technologies that will support One Farmer, One File along with broader efforts to improve farm security, program delivery, data integration, and risk analysis.
“Protecting America’s farmland is protecting America itself, and this work gives USDA the visibility and speed needed to safeguard our food supply,” Berry said when the agreement was announced. “Our farmers sustain this nation, and modern tools help us support them with greater precision.”