While testifying on Capitol Hill, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins spotlighted efforts to defend farmers and ranchers, including the dismissal of charges against South Dakota ranching family Charles and Heather Maude, and how USDA launched a new portal to report similar injustices, receiving over 100 submissions in just days.
The government has dropped federal criminal charges against the couple, which had been placed by the previous administration, claiming that they stole federal land for personal use.
Now, the matter is returned to where things stood before charges were brought.
Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law spoke with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander about the Small Tracts Act, how it benefits producers, and the big takeaways for rural landowners.
The USDA says the framework is about “ending abusive government overreach” and “protecting farmers, families, and private property.”
February 12, 2026 02:05 PM
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Farm numbers still favor small operations, but production, resilience, and risk management are increasingly concentrated among fewer, larger farms.
February 12, 2026 12:16 PM
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The USDA opened a new sterile fly-dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas to prevent a potential outbreak of New World screwworm and protect the small U.S. cattle herd.
February 12, 2026 10:47 AM
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February 12, 2026 10:14 AM
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American Farmland Trust shares guidance, research, and policy solutions to help farmers navigate the growing threat of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” contaminating U.S. farmland.
February 11, 2026 02:24 PM
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Richard Gupton of the Agricultural Retailers Association discusses the EPA’s new decision on over-the-top Dicamba and what it means for growers this year.
February 11, 2026 01:32 PM
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