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
“Irresponsible Lending Has No Place in Government Programs,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a press release.
Cattle analysts say the U.S. beef cattle herd rebuild still faces major hurdles despite some minor positive signals noted in certain regions.
USDA’s first 2026/27 outlook shows tighter supplies across several markets, led by wheat, corn, cotton, rice, beef, and sugar.
Strong export demand is supportive, but higher freight costs may pressure basis and grain movement margins.
Union leaders warn many federal researchers may leave their jobs rather than move to regional hubs.
