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.”
With fewer young people entering agriculture and farmers nearing retirement, industry leaders warn of challenges ahead while working to keep farming profitable and sustainable.
April 15, 2026 08:00 AM
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Natalie Roy from AgriSafe Network talks about women’s role in agriculture and the increasing need to address their unique health and safety needs as they form a larger part of the workforce.
April 13, 2026 02:21 PM
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In honor of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Jeffrey Gold shares how disparities in dental care impact rural Americans and why early detection is important.
April 13, 2026 02:04 PM
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While the Farm Bill is top of mind right now, it is far from the only issue getting attention in Washington.
April 13, 2026 01:49 PM
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Rising costs and prices are shifting acreage toward soybeans. Most fertilizer prices are up double digits from this time last year, with Urea seeing the largest gains.
April 13, 2026 11:57 AM
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Rising input costs may squeeze margins and shift planting decisions. Scott Metzger with the American Soybean Association discusses fertilizer market pressures and what is at stake for farmers as planting season ramps up.
April 10, 2026 12:18 PM
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