Sec. Rollins hosts the inaugural “Farmers First” roundtable

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
Lawmakers advance FY27 agriculture funding bill, highlighting support for rural development, school lunches, disease response, and water issues.
National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman joins us to discuss Prop 12 provisions in the House’s Farm Bill as it heads to the Senate for debate.
Officials say no additional spread has been detected as containment and monitoring efforts move forward.
U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Justin Tupper joins us to discuss the DOJ packer investigation, industry competition, and the outlook for cattle producers.
Practical changes to retailer stocking standards promote more options all while reducing fraud and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The New World Screwworm case was detected roughly 119 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border — at nearly the same latitude as Zapata, Texas.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The $221 million will help farmers and ranchers cover losses from Hurricane Helene that USDA programs didn’t cover. They’ll focus on infrastructure, markets, timber, and future economic losses.
The Tennessee State Fair features a variety of attractions, including rides, tasty foods, and dozens of agricultural competitions to enter and win. But what goes into picking achievements in each category?
Tom Peterson with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association says taxpayers are “unfortunate casualties” of this overlay now that the Mexican wolf population is stable under ESA guidelines.
Co-Bank Lead Dairy Economist, Corey Geiger, joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report for a further look at the drop in replacement heifers and the trend’s longterm impact on dairy producers and cattle prices.
The agriculture workforce’s struggles with labor issues in recent years have opened the door to more automation and integration of artificial intelligence (AI).