While in Nebraska on May 19, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said a USDA plan will improve the viability and longevity of smaller-scale family farms for generations to come.
A series of policy priorities dubbed the Small Family Farms Policy Agenda are intended to better support small farmers, she said. They include streamlining the application process for many programs, as well as improving access to credit, farmland, markets and business planning tools.
During a stop at the Ohnoutka family farm east of Valparaiso, Rollins said the announcement is the first of many steps the administration will be taking. She expects more partnerships and programs to be announced over the coming weeks and months.
“About 86% of all farms in the United States are small family farms,” Rollins told the crowd. “To ensure those farms can start and stay in business, and pass along to third, fourth, fifth and sixth generation … we have to change the way we think and the way we do business.” She also noted that the Ohnoutka operation was a sixth-generation family farm.
As for specifics on how the administration plans to streamline certain regulations, the secretary offered few specifics. Instead, she noted that the first Trump administration prioritized eliminating regulations that didn’t make sense. That, Rollins said, continues to be a priority.
According to Rollins, in her roughly three months leading USDA, she has met with more than 1,000 farmers and ranchers in about 15 states. She said that is part of her effort to listen and see what USDA needs to do to ensure a sustainable, thriving and prosperous future for agriculture.
What issues will agenda address?
According to a May 19 USDA press release, the Small Family Farms Policy Agenda is intended to address 10 key points:
offer streamlined and transparent tools and applications
ensure reliable access to credit
make sure working farmland remains for farming
ensure small farms can be passed on to the next generation
focus USDA programs for farmers on farmers
reform labor
enhance access to risk management and business planning tools
ensure definitions of farm size reflect modern-day realities
enhance farmer access to educational resources
make other small-farm resources available
According to Rollins, this is part of a broader USDA effort to launch key policy initiatives with attainable and measurable goals that always put U.S. farmers first. According to her, focusing on small family farm prosperity is the “first policy pillar” of the “Make Agriculture Great Again” agenda championed by her and President Donald Trump.
While many details have yet to be announced, a USDA policy agenda summary offers some hints regarding the agency’s next steps. USDA intends to conduct an internal audit to determine which paper-based applications can be digitized and streamlined. The agency is also evaluating a new shared services platform for the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development programs to improve efficiencies.
To address rising land costs, USDA plans to reform both the FSA and RD loan programs to help farmers better access credit. Federal funding for solar panel installation on productive farmland will be disincentivized.
Regarding the Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities and Advancing Markets for Producers initiatives, USDA has implemented a policy requiring a minimum of 65% of federal funds go to producers instead of “special interests.”
“A lot of you may have followed that we have been canceling a lot of grants at USDA and across the government the last number of months,” Rollins told the Valparaiso audience. “The money, the taxpayer dollars that are coming into USDA will now be focused on farmers and ranchers and their success.”
As for helping farmers find affordable and reliable labor, Rollins acknowledged that the current system needs to be fixed. She said multiple agencies, including the departments of Labor and Homeland Security, are working on the issue. Still, she said congressional lawmakers may ultimately be the ones who need to address the farm labor crisis.