USDA Secretary Rollins Unveils Policy Agenda Supporting Small Family Farms

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has unveiled the "Farmers First" policy agenda under the Make Agriculture Great Again Initiative to support the viability and longevity of small family farms, which comprise about 86% of U.S. farms. The comprehensive plan aims to address challenges such as limited access to credit, bureaucratic hurdles, and intergenerational land transfer by streamlining USDA application processes, digitizing paper forms, reforming loan programs, and developing business planning tools. The agenda also includes exploring legal agricultural workforce solutions through nonimmigrant visas, reforming environmental regulations, and advocating for Congressional action to exempt most farms from death tax increases. USDA is committed to ensuring working farmland remains in agricultural use and facilitating the passing of farms to future generations, with input from farmers nationwide and state officials. These measures aim to reduce entry barriers, improve credit reliability, and enhance market access for small family farmers to sustain rural communities and the broader agricultural economy.