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
Seafood producers gain expanded access to USDA support programs.
Risk management and diversification improve survival odds. Heidi Exline with American Farmland Trust discusses barriers to farmland access and efforts to connect the next generation of producers with retiring farmers.
Corn exports remain the clear demand leader.
March 15 of each year is the application deadline for the Pima Cotton Trust, and March 1 of each year is the application deadline for the Wool Trust. The law mandates trust payments by April 15. More information about these programs is available at www.fas.usda.gov/programs.
Alan Bjerga with the National Milk Producers Federation discusses how stewardship is driving efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness in the dairy industry.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the availability of over $275 million in grant funding in FY2026 for the specialty crop industry in the United States through three USDA programs.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Oklahoma livestock economist Dr. Derrell Peel helps us break down the April Cattle-on-Feed report and what it signals for herd rebuilding, supplies and prices moving forward.
Tariff refunds are underway, potentially returning billions to importers, as agriculture groups push for a larger role in trade policy and investigations.
Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy joined us to discuss diesel price volatility and what farmers can expect as geopolitical tensions continue to impact energy markets.
Farm programs remain small but politically easier to expand.
Pat Hord with the National Pork Producers Council joined us to recap producer meetings in Washington and discuss key policy priorities including Prop 12 and agricultural labor.