It’s day one for Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, and she already is tackling areas

The Department of Agriculture officially has a new leader, and she is the only second female Agriculture Secretary in history.

She was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas shortly after the Senate approved her nomination. It is all business today as she begins her first full day on the job, and she says she wants to take USDA back to its original intent.

One big item she will need to address is the President’s spending freeze and staffing at the Department. This week, a federal judge cleared the way for President Trump’s government employee buyout. It is unclear how many of the 80,000 applications work for USDA.

Rollins says President Trump called to congratulate her shortly after her confirmation. He told her he stands with farmers, and will only make decisions that help them.

Related Stories
Livestock groups support USDA’s expanded grazing guidance, while environmental groups have raised concerns.
USDA Conservation Secretary Richard Fordyce says enhanced risk management tools are helping farmers strengthen their safety net.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer provides clarity on USDA’s updated payment limitation and eligibility rules, changes affecting pass-through entities, and implementation timelines for producers.
Task force member Warren Cude says sterile fly releases and early reporting remain key to slowing New World screwworm.
A private acreage estimate points to fewer corn acres and more soybeans ahead of the USDA’s upcoming final acreage report this week.
States exceeding the 6 percent error-rate threshold must submit plans to USDA outlining how they will reduce payment errors.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

For farmers and ranchers, the biggest near-term pieces are in the safety net.
Chip Cortez with Specialty Risk Insurance joins us to discuss farm safety priorities during National Safety Month.
The average age of covered barges also rose to 18 years, compared with 13 years from 2012 through 2016.