Robert F. Kennedy Jr: “We need to support the farmers.”

If confirmed, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says he wants to work with farmers and ranchers.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. spent more than four hours before a Senate panel and said farmers are a big part of his vision to “make America healthy again.”

“What we need to do is we need to support the farmers,” Kennedy said. “We need the farmers as partners if we’re going to make them work. I don’t want a single farmer to go out of business under our watch.”

Kennedy will appear before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor Committee today.

“If I’m privileged to be confirmed, I won’t regulate farms — that’s under USDA,” Kennedy stated. “But with all of my decisions, I want to partner with USDA and with the farm community, to make sure that we don’t lose more farmers in this country, but we also transition. We offer and incentivize transitions, regenerative agriculture, and no-till agriculture to be less chemically intensive. By the way, I’ve met with the chemical industry and the fertilizer and herbicide companies, and they want to do the same thing.”

Related Stories
For producers, the next proof will be actual export sales, shipment pace, and buyer breakdowns.
Growers should work with local agronomists, check state registrations, and follow all restricted-use label requirements.
Potato growers now have a fresh benchmark for comparing fertilizer, pesticide, and pest-management practices across major production states.
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition joins us to discuss the proposed federal gas tax suspension, fuel cost pressures, and what the policy could mean for agriculture and transportation.
For dairy producers, that could help support fluid milk use in cafeterias, breakfast programs, and other child nutrition settings.
Dr. Jeffrey Gold discusses the recent hantavirus outbreak linked to a South American cruise ship and Nebraska’s monitoring efforts on this week’s Rural Health Matters.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The President’s trip to Asia this week follows a trade mission by the Iowa Soybean Association. Farmers say they were reminded that U.S. soybeans have an international reputation that can be easy to take for granted here at home.
She saw him play besides greats like Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Conway Twitty, and more.
Farmers who rely on H-2A workers will see a few key changes to speed up the process and make it fairer. On the ground, producers say labor issues create shortfalls in otherwise productive harvests.
John Appel with the Farmers Business Network (FBN) joins us for a closer look at the 2026 Crop Protection Market Outlook Report.
Industry leaders representing more than 40 nations gathered to discuss the future of ethanol and other corn-based products.
Farmers display a unique optimism — planting with the expectation that weather, basis, and prices will improve by harvest — asserting that the profession is an identity, not just a job.