Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently hosted the inaugural “Farmers First” roundtable, where she got to learn firsthand some of the issues in rural America.
The meeting was hosted by USDA with more than 20 farmers and ranchers in attendance from 11 states. Rollins also signed an MOU between USDA and NASDA to improve collaborations between states.
She told the group there are many challenges right now to starting a new farm and says she realizes current operations are struggling.
While there, Rollins announced a new page to track the nearly $30 billion in disaster aid approved last fall. It includes timelines that USDA hopes to meet as well as important crop insurance deadlines.
Related Stories
Despite rising costs and growing food insecurity, meat demand remained strong in 2025 as higher-income consumers offset cutbacks elsewhere. Economists break down the K-shaped economy, upcoming USDA cattle reports, livestock production outlooks, and renewed debate over beef imports and country-of-origin labeling heading into 2026.
Congressional leaders signal momentum toward expanded, targeted farm aid to help producers manage losses and cash-flow stress in 2026.
Freight volatility and route selection remain critical to soybean export margins and competitiveness.
New Resource Makes It Easier for People to Access Data on Rural Development funded Projects in Rural Communities
While short-term volatility remains a risk, softer ocean freight rates in 2026 could improve export margins.
Trade volatility and shifting export destinations increase marketing risk for producers heading into 2026.