U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA Says Details On $1 Billion Specialty Crop Aid Payments Expected Within Weeks

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:50:53 GMT

Specialty crop producers are likely just weeks away from learning how much support they’ll receive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $1 billion aid package , as officials work through final acreage data needed to calculate payments.

In an interview with Farm Journal, Richard Fordyce said the timeline for details depends on information gathered through the recently closed acreage reporting period.

“We’ve reached the acreage reporting signup deadline, and now we need to understand the full universe of acres,” Fordyce says. “Once we have that, we can move quickly into developing payment rates per acre by crop.”

Fordyce indicated producers could see an announcement soon.

“I would expect that we’ll have an announcement in a couple of weeks, hopefully,” he says. “It may be a little longer than that, but we’ve got some math to do and we want to make sure we get that right.”

Acreage Data Drives Payment Rates

The reporting deadline Fordyce referenced was extended by U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this spring to ensure more producers could participate in the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program.

According to Farm Service Agency (FSA), the acreage reporting window for 2025 specialty crops was reopened and ultimately closed April 24, 2026. The additional time was intended to capture a more complete picture of planted acres nationwide—data that will now be used to set commodity-specific payment rates.

Those payments will be based directly on reported 2025 planted acres, making accuracy in reporting a critical step in determining how the $1 billion in aid is distributed.

Program Aims to Offset Market Pressures

The ASCF program, announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins in February, is designed to help producers weather a range of economic challenges. These include market disruptions, rising input costs, persistent inflation and increased competition from foreign suppliers engaging in unfair trade practices.

Authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, the program covers a wide array of specialty crops, from almonds, apples and berries to vegetables like broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes, as well as nuts and other high-value crops.

However, not all crops qualify. Dry edible beans and peas covered under separate assistance programs are excluded from ASCF eligibility.

What Happens Next

With acreage reporting now complete, USDA officials are focused on translating that data into per-acre payment rates across dozens of eligible crops, a process Fordyce acknowledged is complex given the diversity of the sector.

“There’s a lot of crops when we start talking about that specialty crop category,” he says.

Once payment rates are finalized, USDA is expected to open the application period. In the meantime, producers are encouraged to prepare by setting up accounts through Login.gov, which will allow for faster application processing when signups begin. Applications will also be available through local FSA county offices.

While crop insurance is not required to participate in ASCF, USDA is encouraging producers to consider risk management tools available under recent legislation to help guard against future price volatility.

For now, all eyes are on USDA’s forthcoming announcement, which will determine how the $1 billion in aid is allocated across the specialty crop sector.

Trump Admin to Roll Out Major Fertilizer Plan This Week, Accelerate U.S. Production Push

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:09:55 GMT

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the Trump administration will unveil a sweeping set of fertilizer initiatives this week, warning that surging input costs are putting intense pressure on American farmers. Speaking at a Missouri farm on Friday, Rollins told those in attendance that fertilizer has become an issue of national security, which is why she says this week’s announcement will be broader than just USDA, also including EPA, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior.

While at GR Farms in Higginsville, Mo., on Friday to roll out an announcement on the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) top-up payments, Rollins described the Trump administration’s upcoming announcement on fertilizer as a large-scale investment initiative. She says while she hoped to roll out the plan while in Missouri, the administration is still finalizing the size of the funding package.

Rollins says the plan will address both immediate actions to stabilize fertilizer prices and a longer-term roadmap aimed at ensuring affordable, domestically produced supply for U.S. farmers.

Washington analyst Jim Wiesemeyer says the plan will likely need to include a mix of financial and policy tools, such as grants, tax incentives, loan guarantees outside of existing USDA programs and greater consistency in U.S. trade policy, while noting imports will still play a role, particularly for key nutrients like potash sourced from Canada.

Short-Term Fertilizer Price Pain

During her comments Friday, Rollins highlighted how quickly fertilizer prices have increased since the conflict started in Iran, outlining the additional strain it is placing on producers.

“We know that urea prices have gone up 50% over the last month. Ammonia is up 30% or more,” she said, adding that “our farmers are feeling that pinch.”

Rollins also told the crowd fertilizer has been a longer-term challenge, even before the situation in Iran caused the latest price spike.

“To be clear, this has been a problem for years. The actual numbers are lower, believe it or not, than they were even in 2022,” she says. “But nevertheless, that jump in prices overnight, we have to address.”

Framing the issue as more than just an economic challenge and one that is a matter of national security after decades of offshoring fertilizer production, Rollins says the administration views the issue as part of a broader structural problem within the fertilizer industry.

“The loss of competition in the fertilizer industry has obviously led to higher fertilizer costs over time,” she says. “When combined with what’s happening overseas with the current geopolitical issues facing our world, certainly we have come to a crossroads that requires immediate action. This is indeed a matter of national security, and we are working to tackle it head on.”

Focus on Domestic Fertilizer Production

While Rollins didn’t give details, she hinted the centerpiece of this week’s announcement will be a major push to reshore fertilizer production, backed by federal investment to accomplish that. Working with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, she says the administration is preparing to direct significant funding toward building new fertilizer plants across the country, while also supporting existing projects.

“I have asked Howard to do, and his team to do, and what we’re doing in partnership is to identify a significant number ... that we can deploy into building out fertilizer plants in America,” she says.

Rollins emphasizes cutting regulatory delays will be critical to making that plan work. She says projects are already being identified nationwide, but permitting delays remain a major obstacle — with the goal of getting that process down to months versus the current years it takes.

“We’ve already begun to identify all over the country. Some are under production. How do we move them along more quickly? Some are in the permitting bureaucracy, which sometimes takes years to get through permitting,” she says. “Our goal is to, instead of years, to get to permitting in a matter of weeks, or perhaps months, so that even in one year, two years and three years, we will have facilities up and running that we will never have had that opportunity or option before.”

United States’ Energy Advantage for Nitrogen Fertilizer

Rollins also points to domestic energy resources as a key factor in expanding fertilizer output, particularly for nitrogen production.

“We became, in a matter of just a short period of time, a net exporter of LNG versus importer, meaning we were producing our own energy in America, so much so that we no longer had to rely on other countries,” she says. “The reason that is important is, as our farmers are facing these exponential nitrogen fertilizer costs, we now have the resources in America. We just have to build the facilities, the manufacturing facilities, to turn that LNG into nitrogen. So this is going to happen quicker than you would normally expect, I think because of the pieces of the puzzle that have already been put into place.”

In the meantime, Rollins says the administration is continuing short-term efforts to improve supply availability and reduce costs.

While the longer-term strategy ramps up, she says the administration is continuing short-term interventions to ease pressure on farmers. These include:

Extending a waiver of the Jones Act
Opening new import channels
Working and meeting with industry/fertilizer companies

Highlighting cooperation with domestic producers, she pointed to CF Industries as an example.

“They have said, in order to protect our farmers, we are going to stop maintenance. We are going look at holding our prices steady,” she says.

She also points to ongoing coordination with the Department of Justice.

“Last year, we signed a joint agreement, USDA did, with the Department of Justice, ensuring that farmers have access to competitive and affordable inputs,” she says. “Looking into the activities of our fertilizer companies and what has happened over the last few years, but with a new eye on potential price gouging right now.”

Long-Term Goal: Reduce Foreign Dependence

Looking longer term, Rollins says the administration is focused on reversing decades of reliance on foreign suppliers.

“America has offshored for far too long, far too much of our fertilizer production, leaving us dangerously reliant on Russia and China,” she says. “Changing that long-standing industry that is reliant on global markets won’t happen overnight,” she says. “But working with our farmers and across industry and government, we will find ways to make fertilizer that we can do here in America and make sure it is a price that our great farmers can afford.”

At the same time, the administration is increasing scrutiny of fertilizer markets. Rollins noted ongoing coordination with the Department of Justice, saying officials are taking “a new eye on potential price gouging right now.”

Ultimately, she framed this week’s announcement as the beginning of a broader shift away from foreign dependence.

Rollins says additional details, including funding levels and project specifics, will be included in next week’s announcement.

“We’re at a crossroads that requires immediate action,” she says.

Watch Rollins’ full press conference here:

Grocery Stores Face New USDA Nutrition Requirements to Accept SNAP

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:20:00 GMT

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the Stocking Standards final rule, which will double the healthy food that the 250,000 retailers authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be required to stock. As part of the standards, retailers must stock 28 varieties of healthy options across four staple food programs.

Rollins noted in a press conference Wednesday that this rule delivers on Section 402 of the 2014 farm bill. She also says this policy is intended to create a direct benefit for farmers and ranchers by incentivizing the purchase of whole foods.

“No longer if you accept SNAP dollars will jelly count as a fruit, will jerky count as a protein, starting almost immediately,” Rollins says. “They have to stock more than double the healthy options that they’re currently being required to stock.”

Rollins says this list will prioritize whole nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy and whole grains.

“The current standards ... only require our retailers, almost 250,000 retailers across the country, to stock the very minimum of healthy foods,” she says.

Rollins, who was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and USDA national adviser for nutrition, health and housing Ben Carson, also announced the launch of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Strategic Partnerships, which will involve the private sector in public education regarding the guidelines’ role as a framework for healthy eating.

“Partners will span various sectors including grocery retailers, health professional associations, health care corporations, food manufacturers, agricultural producers and media outlets,” Rollins says.

While Rollins provided the technical details of the current standards rule, Carson shared the impact these stocking standards could have on SNAP recipients.

“We can make all kinds of rules and regulations and recommendations, but it’s the people who are on the front line — the retailers, the people who actually are in contact with the consumers — who can make a big difference,” he says.

Rollins says USDA will also issue updated guidelines for retailers and families that participate in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and will work with Kennedy to develop a proposed school meals rule.

Rollins also signed four new SNAP restriction waivers for Kansas, Nevada, Ohio and Wyoming.

House Ag Committee Starts Farm Bill Mark Up

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:24:45 GMT

The push to get a five-year farm bill has been renewed in the House Ag Committee as Chairman G.T. Thompson released language and mark up began on Tuesday.

One Big Beautiful Bill Omits Farm Bill Titles

While some question why a new long term farm bill is needed, a cross section of the nation’s farm groups explain the bill did not cover all the titles normal included in a long-term farm bill.

“We had a lot of the provisions of the farm bill that were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill — the increase in reference prices, some changes and improvements to crop insurance, etc. But there’s still some really important aspects of the farm bill that need to be passed,” says Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association.

Sam Kieffer, chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers, points out the One Big Beautiful Bill did not touch the conservation title or reauthorize programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Nor did the legislation deal with credit or expand farm loan limits.

“It is time to give our folks some certainty when it comes to conservation programs, when it comes to credit. The cost of doing business is drastically different than it was in 2018. And the 2018 Farm Bill was based off of data from three, four years prior. So, we want to make sure that we improve the credit section of of the farm bill, get that finished,” Kieffer says.

Farm Safety Net Needed

Kieffer adds a farm bill is also needed to provide certainty to farmers and offer a farm safety net in times of negative margins.

“There’s three years of market loss that our growers are struggling with at the moment, and they’re making hard decisions. Some of them are reducing acres, some of them are letting land go and there’s a price to be paid for that as well,” Kieffer says.

House Ag Committee Language Includes Prop 12 Ag Labeling Uniformity Act

Chairman Thompson’s farm bill language includes a Ag Labeling Uniformity Act, which covers pesticide registrations, according to Censky.

“Which means that the EPA is going to have preeminence when they make a health and safety determination of a pesticide, a crop protection product. You can’t have a state adopt different rules,” Censky says.

The House language also includes a national fix to California’s strict Prop 12 sow production standards and the possible patchwork of rules in other states.

However, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) would lose around $1 billion in budget authority over the next four fiscal years under the House Agriculture Committee’s GOP farm bill draft, according to calculations by the Congressional Budget Office. EQIP was essentially used as a funding source for other priorities in the legislation.

Include Food for Peace Program

Kieffer says NAWG also wants Congress to move the Food for Peace Program to USDA in the language of the Farm Bill.

“USDA knows how to deal with farm commodities. USDA is already in the business of engaging in food aid programs globally. They have the infrastructure. They have the personnel and they understand agriculture. So, the farm bill that is ready to be moved in the house here soon has a provision that would include that,” Kieffer adds.

Senate Preparing for Farm Bill Mark Up

While the Senate Agriculture Committee has not released farm bill language or scheduled a mark-up, chairman John Boozman told Agri-Pulse his committee will take up a farm bill of its own in the coming months. Timing will be dependent in part on how debate over a House version proceeds.

Will Congress Pass a Farm Bill?

Still there’s uncertainty about the appetite for passage of a farm bill in Congress according to Tim Lust, chief executive officer of National Sorghum Producers.

“A lot of these details honestly have been negotiated for a year or two, and it’s maybe little tweaks to them, but a lot of the main things haven’t really changed. It’s a matter of how do we get that across the finish line and find a way to get it signed into law?” he says.

USDA to Provide $1B in Specialty Crop Farmer Assistance

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:49:48 GMT

USDA will provide $1 billion in assistance for specialty crops, sugar and commodities not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance program, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says in a news release. USDA says these one-time bridge payments will be made through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program.

While USDA says the payments will “help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports,” with $500 million in losses to just russet potatoes alone , the figure falls well short of the full funding needed.

Specialty crop producers have until March 13, 2026, to report 2025 acres to USDA’s Farm Service Agency, the release says.

“President Trump has the backs of our farmers, and today we are building on our Farmer Bridge Assistance program with the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program,” Rollins says in the release. “Our specialty crop producers continue to feel the negative effects of four years under the Biden Administration, suffering from record inflation, a depleted farm safety net and delayed disaster assistance.

“If our specialty crop producers are not economically able to continue their operations, American families will see a decrease in the food they rely on, wholesome and nutritious fruits and vegetables,” Rollins continues. “Putting Farmers First is essential to the Make America Healthy Again movement and we are doing both at USDA by expanding market opportunities and improving the farm economy for all producers. Today’s specialty crop announcement builds on our efforts to improve markets for real food into American schools, institutions, and family dinner tables.”

The Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program is authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act and will be administered by FSA.

Eligible Specialty Crops

USDA says ASCF-eligible specialty crops include: almond, apple, apricot, aronia berry, artichoke, asparagus, avocado, banana, bean (snap or green; lima; dry edible), beet (table), blackberry, blueberry, breadfruit, broccoli (including broccoli [rabe]), Brussels sprouts, cabbage (including Chinese), cacao, carrot, cashew, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, cherimoya, cherry, chestnut (for nuts), chive, citrus, coconut, coffee, collards (including kale), cranberry, cucumber, currant, dates, dry edible beans and peas (dry edible beans and peas covered by FBA will not be eligible for ASCF), edamame, eggplant, endive, feijou, fig, filbert (hazelnut), garlic, gooseberry, grape (including raisin), guava, horseradish, kiwi, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, litchi, macadamia, mango, melon (all types), mushroom (cultivated), mustard and other greens, nectarines, okra, olive, onion, opuntia, papaya, parsley, parsnip, passion fruit, pea (garden; English or edible pod; dry edible), peaches, pears, pecans, peppers, persimmons, pineapple, pistachio, plums (including prune), pomegranate, potato, pumpkin, quince, radish (all types), raspberry, rhubarb, rutabaga, salsify, spinach, squash (summer and winter), strawberry, Suriname cherry, sweet corn, sweet potato, Swiss chard, taro, tomato (including tomatillo), turnip, walnuts and watermelon.

ASCF payments are based on reported 2025 planted acres.

Eligible farmers should ensure their 2025 acreage reporting is factual and accurate by 5 p.m. ET on March 13. Commodity-specific payment rates will be released by the end of March. Crop insurance linkage will not be required for the ASCF program. However, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” risk management tools to best protect against price risk and volatility in the future.

More information on ASCF is available online at fsa.usda.gov/fba , or producers can contact their local FSA county office.

Your next read: Specialty Crops in Crisis: Will They Receive the Farm Aid They Need?

No Pulled Punches: Mike Tyson, Federal Leaders Target Processed Food in New Dietary Guidelines

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:42:22 GMT

At a Feb. 11 press conference about the implementation of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the new guidance around a simple directive: Eat real food.

With speakers ranging from physicians and chefs to military leaders, prison officials and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, the event positions fresh, minimally processed foods — including fruits, vegetables, seafood and whole proteins — as central to reversing what Kennedy calls “the defining health crisis of our time.”

A Shift Toward Whole Foods

Calley Means, a senior adviser to Kennedy, opened the event by criticizing decades of federal policy that he says steered dollars toward highly processed foods through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and school meals.

“We must get to whole food,” he says, arguing that chronic disease and rising health care costs are tied to the modern American diet.

Joe Gebbia, U.S. chief design officer, says the new food pyramid flips the script, placing “high-quality protein, dairy, healthy fats, vibrant vegetables and fruits” at the forefront, with whole grains as the foundation and “highly processed junk” clearly identified.

That message was echoed repeatedly: Nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods, such as fresh produce, are no longer peripheral recommendations but rather are central to federal guidance.

Pictured is American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

‘Food Is Medicine’

American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala connects the new guidelines directly to prevention.

“Choosing protein-rich whole foods while limiting heavily processed foods that are high in sodium and added sugar can help slow or reverse our nation’s growing chronic disease burden,” he says.

He calls the guidelines “a conversation starter and a call to action” and emphasizes the growing movement within medicine to recognize that “food is medicine.”

For the produce industry, the remarks reinforce an expanding role for fruits and vegetables not just in dietary advice but also in clinical conversations, public health strategy and federal procurement.

Pictured is chef Andrew Gruel.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

Chefs Champion Accessibility and American Agriculture

Chef Andrew Gruel underscored that real food is not only healthier but also affordable and widely available. He described a full day of meals built around eggs, fruit, vegetables, seafood and whole cuts of meat that he says could be prepared for $15 to $20 per day.

“Real food is wholesome food. Food is nutritious food. It’s also sustainable food,” he says, adding that the U.S. food supply chain — including produce, ranching and seafood — is “the best of any other country in the world.”

His comments place farmers, ranchers and produce providers at the center of the health conversation.

Mike Tyson speaks at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference.

(Screenshot via Dietary Guidelines for Americans press conference)

Boxing Legend’s Personal Testimony

Tyson provided one of the event’s most emotional moments, speaking candidly about his past struggles with obesity and self-image.

“I was so fat and nasty, I would eat anything. I was like 345 pounds — a quart of ice cream every hour. I had so much self-hate when I was like that, I just wanted to kill myself,” he says.

Tyson connects his transformation to dietary change and sharply criticizes the role of processed foods in the U.S. food system.

“We’re the most powerful country in the world, and we have the most obese, fudgy people,” he says. “Something has to be done about processed food in this country.”

Tyson’s appearance, along with a campaign that aired during the Super Bowl , “Processed food kills. Eat Real Food,” was positioned as a cultural push to normalize fresh, whole ingredients over packaged, ultraprocessed products.

Federal Procurement as a Market Driver

Rollins emphasizes that USDA’s scale gives it leverage to shift demand.

“Every day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spends almost $400 million on our 16 nutrition programs,” she says, calling that spending “a market mover.”

She points to 18 approved state SNAP waivers removing soda and junk food from eligibility and says updated stocking standards will require retailers accepting SNAP benefits to expand healthy offerings.

Rollins also announced new guidance encouraging child nutrition program leaders to incorporate the updated dietary recommendations, with a proposed school meals rule expected this spring.

Kennedy says the administration is “redirecting government procurement dollars toward American farmers and not junk food manufacturers,” adding that the guidelines will influence food served in schools, the military, prisons and other federal institutions.

Beyond Schools: Military and Prisons

Military and correctional facility leaders shared how nutrition changes are already underway.

Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal says the military branch is increasing access to “lean proteins and complex carbohydrates” and streamlining procurement of “local unprocessed foods” and “fresh American seafoods and produce.”

Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall says dietary reform aligns with safety and rehabilitation goals, citing research linking improved diet quality to reductions in aggression and disciplinary infractions.

For produce suppliers, these institutional shifts represent potential long-term demand growth across large-volume federal channels.

Cultural Reset

Kennedy frames the guidelines as a turning point.

“For the first time in our nation’s history, the federal government put real food at the center of the American diet and protein in the center of the American plate,” he says.

Rollins distills the message further: “Eat real food.”

For the fresh produce industry, the rollout signals more than a revised pyramid. It suggests an alignment of federal policy, medical advocacy, cultural messaging and procurement dollars around whole fruits, vegetables and minimally processed foods — positioning fresh as foundational to national health strategy through 2030 and beyond.

Is Produce Next? Grocers Wary of SNAP Restriction 'Gray Areas' for Value-Added Fresh Items

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:22:01 GMT

As the USDA moves forward with state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) restriction waivers, independent grocers are warning that unclear guidance and stricter enforcement could have unintended consequences for food access in the communities they serve.

In a Jan. 6 statement, the National Grocers Association says USDA’s recent guidance on SNAP restriction waivers represents an important step forward but notes that implementation has introduced significant new challenges for retailers. As of Jan. 1, grocers in five states are required to identify, track and enforce restrictions across tens of thousands of products, a process NGA said requires extensive system reprogramming, item coding, employee retraining and customer education.

While produce has not been directly targeted by the current SNAP waiver restrictions, NGA officials say uncertainty around product definitions and future rulemaking is creating concern, particularly for value-added produce and prepared fresh items.

“So on the SNAP waiver side, the only foods that are being excluded at this time are soda and candy,” says Stephanie Johnson, group vice president government relations and political affairs for NGA. “In some of the states, they have expanded it a little bit into baking goods and prepared baked goods. But that isn’t affecting produce yet.”

However, the association is watching closely as USDA considers updates to its SNAP stocking standards, which could have implications for certain fresh and value-added produce items. USDA proposed changes to those standards last fall and has indicated that final guidance could be released soon.

“There was some confusion or concern about the value-added products that come with a spoon,” Johnson says. “I think that concern is more for the convenience store folks, because generally our stuff isn’t as ready to eat.”

Still, questions remain around how items such as salad bowls or fresh-cut produce kits that include utensils might be treated under future guidance.

“I think that remains to be seen in the final rule,” Johnson says. “The USDA has been kind of moving back and forth on where they’re at with those specific items, and we just really don’t know yet.”

For now, NGA said most produce items remain SNAP-eligible, particularly those sold in cold cases and intended to be consumed at home. Items packaged and handed directly to consumers for immediate consumption are more likely to be deemed SNAP-ineligible, an area the association acknowledged can be confusing for retailers and shoppers alike.

Despite broader concerns around SNAP compliance, NGA emphasized that fresh produce remains a relative bright spot for independent grocers.

“For the most part, produce is a department, really a safe haven, for our folks on these programs,” Johnson says.

The association has also encouraged USDA to strengthen fresh produce requirements within SNAP stocking standards.

“We were strong proponents of including all types of produce in the stocking standards,” Johnson says. “We did encourage stronger fresh standards … just because our members have more fresh.”

Concerns about enforcement were a central focus of a Jan. 8 joint letter from NGA and the National Association of Convenience Stores to USDA. In that letter, the associations warn that a new two-strike enforcement framework could result in involuntary SNAP withdrawal after a second violation, even when retailers are making good-faith efforts to comply.

During the interview, Johnson said that policy shift could be devastating for independent grocers in low-income communities, many of whom rely heavily on SNAP sales.

“We do have stores that have above 50% SNAP sales,” she says. “Seeing a significant drop in those sales would be really hard for those stores to overcome.”

If a store were forced to close as a result, the impact would extend well beyond SNAP eligibility.

“If a store isn’t open, the community loses access to all of those foods, including the produce,” Johnson says.

NGA says it has urged USDA to differentiate between retailers that intentionally violate SNAP rules and those that are working in good faith to comply. In its letter, the association called for flexibility in enforcement and clearer guidance before penalties that could remove retailers from the program are imposed.

For independent grocers, NGA says, SNAP compliance is not just a regulatory issue but also a community one. Without clearer definitions, realistic enforcement and sufficient implementation time, the association warned that policy changes risk undermining the very food access goals SNAP is intended to support.

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:43:25 GMT

The White House delivered a simple but clear message to Americans today: Eat real food.

“We are finally putting real food back at the center of the American diet. Real food that nourishes the body, restores health, fuels energy and builds strength,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “This pivot also leans into the abundant, affordable and healthy food supply already available from America’s incredible farmers and ranchers. By making milk, raising cattle and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis.”

In the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” the White House released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 . The updated pyramid inverts the 1992 USDA version by prioritizing:

Protein (1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, an increase from 0.8 grams)
Dairy and healthy fats as the foundation
Vegetables (3 servings per day)
Fruits (2 servings per day)

Unlike the old pyramid’s grain-heavy base and processed carbs, new recommendations limit whole grains to 2 to 4 servings per day and added sugars and highly processed oils should be avoided entirely.

Eat More Protein

Rollins says the previous dietary guidelines demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“These guidelines reflect gold standard science by prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods in every meal,” Rollins says. “This includes a variety of animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, in addition to plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.”

To put the new protein recommendations into perspective, Sigrid Johannes, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says for folks who should be consuming 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight that’s a 100% increase in recommended daily protein intake.

Dairy’s Seat at the Table

Dairy emerged in a strong position under the new dietary guidelines, with federal nutrition guidance supporting dairy at all fat levels for the first time.

“One of the key messages they’re telling consumers is eat dairy and eat dairy at all fat levels — that’s whole milk, cheese and butter,” says Matt Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association. He calls it “a significant watershed moment,” reflecting how many families currently eat and shop today.

Echoing Herrick’s perspective, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud adds by better recognizing both fat and protein, the guidelines give a fuller picture of dairy’s nutritional value.

“Not all fats are created equal, and because the guidelines acknowledge this, dairy’s benefits are better reflected in this iteration of the guidelines,” Doud says.

When it comes to protein, consumer demand is reshaping the category, with cottage cheese at its highest level since the 1980s because of the high-protein trend, Herrick notes.

“Consumers are looking at labels more than ever and trying to find cleaner, less processed foods. Dairy fits that bill. Most products have just a handful of ingredients, and they’re all high in protein. People are turning to protein for growth, energy and overall health, and we’re going to continue to see consumers look to dairy to fulfill their protein and healthy fats needs,” Herrick says.

The processing sector has grown alongside the rising demand for dairy, reflecting both increased production and changing consumer preferences. Roughly $8 billion has been invested in new processing facilities from 2022 to 2025, with another $11 billion expected through 2028.

“We’re going to continue to see investments in processing facilities — new plants, updated lines and more capacity — to meet growing consumer demand for dairy protein and healthy fats,” Herrick notes.

Eat More Meat and Poultry

When it comes to meat and poultry, Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute President and CEO, says Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership have simplified the dietary guidelines making it clear meat is a protein powerhouse.

“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins and highly bioavailable minerals that support human health throughout the lifespan,” Potts says.

Kansas beef producer Marisa Kleysteuber describes the new “commonsense” dietary guidelines as “exciting and refreshing.”

“As beef producers we are blessed to work with a ruminant animal that can utilize Mother Nature’s production of cellulose from rain and sunshine and then convert it to one of the most nutrient rich proteins there is,” she says. “Whether the consumer is desiring an organic, grass fed or corn fed beef product, there are cattlemen and women all over the U.S. who put their heart into raising these cattle to produce a nutritious and delicious product that we have always believed in and now our leaders are standing behind the ranchers and farmers of America.”

Quintessentially American foods such as burgers, steaks, pork chops and Easter hams can remain a staple of American households, and the guidelines go so far as to recommend parents introduce nutrient-dense foods, including meat, early and continue focusing on “nutrient-dense foods such as protein foods” throughout childhood.

“America’s pork producers appreciate the 2025 dietary guidelines putting pork front and center on the plate. They took note of producer concerns and rightly gave pork and other high-protein, nutrient-dense and delicious meats their due when it comes to Americans’ health and dietary habits,” says Rob Brenneman , National Pork Producers Council president-elect and pork producer from Washington, Iowa.

Maddie Hokanson , a Minnesota pork producer and mother of two, says the new dietary guidelines’ strong emphasis on protein is a positive for the pork industry. She believes the new guidelines, paired with pork’s quality nutrition and versatility, bring together the perfect opportunity to increase pork consumption and demand in the U.S.

“As pig farmers, we are proud to produce a meat product that is packed with high-quality protein, while also being nutrient-dense with many essential vitamins and minerals,” Hokanson says. “As a parent to young children, I see both the physical and cognitive benefits of prioritizing protein in the diet at all ages, and I’m excited to see what the short- and long-term effects of this recommendation will be.”

Three Servings of Veggies and Two Servings of Fruit

Dairy and meat weren’t the only items at the top of the new dietary pyramid. Fresh fruits and vegetables were also given top billing.

“Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs,” says Robert F Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health.

The new dietary guidelines recommend three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. Like past editions of the dietary guidelines , the new guidelines recommend Americans eat “a variety of colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits” and advises whole produce items be eaten “in their original form.” Though not explicitly stated, the updated guidelines also call out “frozen, dried, or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars” as good options.

“Today’s dietary guidelines reinforce the critical role fruits and vegetables play in overall health,” says Mollie Van Lieu, International Fresh Produce Association vice president of nutrition and health, in the group’s response. “Scientific evidence consistently shows that fruits and vegetables should make up the majority of what people eat. The Administration’s focus on whole foods is an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake, as they are the most nutrient-dense foods available.”

Rollins Teases Plan to Expand Real Food Retail Accessibility

There was more than the new dietary guidelines announced at the press event. Rollins mentioned upcoming changes at retail she says would increase the accessibility of whole, healthy foods to those in food deserts.

“Soon, USDA will finalize our stocking standards,” she says, explaining retailers that take SNAP benefits are bound by the stocking standards. “Very soon we will be finalizing that rule that will mandate all 250,000 retailers in America to double the type of staple foods they provide for America’s SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before in our country.”

Grains and Oilseed Industry Focuses on Positives

In terms of grains, in its guidance USDA recommends Americans “focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates.” The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) shared mixed reactions to the changes.

“We appreciate the continued recognition of whole grains as an essential part of Americans’ diets,” said a spokesperson with NAWG in a statement to Farm Journal. “However, we are concerned that some portions of the new guidelines around grains and wheat are unintentionally confusing. Wheat, wheat flour, and foods made from wheat have been nutrient-rich, life-sustaining staples for tens of thousands of years and deserve clear, continued support as a central part of our nation’s diet.”

The American Soybean Association (ASA) focuses on the positives saying it highlights the importance of increased protein consumption, including plant-based proteins, such as soy-based foods. They also emphasize prioritizing healthy fats, including oils rich in essential fatty acids like soybean oil.

ASA says an addendum continues to call into question the process of soybean oil extraction, which it says is scientifically proven to be safe for human health.

“Soybean oil and soy protein play a critical role in the health and nutrition of Americans,” says Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer, in a press release. “We remain deeply concerned by the rhetoric and selectively cited studies regarding the health and safety of soybean oil in DGA supporting material.”

Metzger says soybean growers will continue to work with the administration and educate MAHA commission leadership on the health benefits of soy-based foods and soybean oil.

The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) echoed those concern: “Vegetable oils, or “seed oils” as they’re sometimes referred to, are a significant provider of essential fatty acids and remain a safe and cost-effective source of dietary fats in the American diet, as they are globally,” said a NOPA press release. “However, some appendices rely on a narrow evidence base with limited citations, which is concerning given the administration’s rhetoric questioning the safety of certain vegetable oils despite an established scientific consensus.”

NOPA also argues oilseeds support the production of affordable meat, dairy and eggs as meal produced from oilseeds are a key component of livestock diets.

The USDA’s 2025 Organic Survey is Coming Soon

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:30:57 GMT

If you’re an organic grower, keep a watch on your mailbox. The 2025 Organic Survey is headed your way.

USDA announced Dec. 10 that the National Agricultural Statistics Service will soon mail the survey to all known organic farms and ranches, as well as producers who are transitioning to certified organic, across all 50 states. Growers will first receive survey codes with an invitation to reply online, followed by the full questionnaire in early January, according to NASS. The questionnaire will ask producers to provide information on acreage, production and sales, as well as production and marketing practices.

“Organic agriculture is a growing industry, and it is our job as a federal statistical agency to help measure this part of the agriculture sector,” NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons says. “We are excited to provide data on organic agriculture that will help inform organic producers and other industry professionals to make informed decisions for their operations.”

Federal laws require producers to respond to the survey, as well as requiring USDA to keep respondents’ identities and responses confidential. The deadline for response is Feb. 5, 2026.

Organic Information of the Past

The USDA organic survey is a special study from the Census of Agriculture and was last conducted in 2021 .

That survey reported there were 17,445 certified organic farms in 2021, up 5% from 2019, and 4.9 million organic acres. California led the states with 3,061 certified operations and 813,710 organic acres. Indiana saw the largest proportional growth in operations at 697 in 2021 compared to 595 in 2019, a 17% increase, while Idaho saw the largest proportional growth of organic acres at 215,668, a 19% increase compared to 2019.

In 2021, the market value of certified organic products sold stood at $11.2 billion, up 13% compared to 2019. Produce items on the top 10 list by market value included apples ($629 million), strawberries ($336 million), grapes ($309 million) and lettuce ($276 million).

The results of this new organic survey will be available Oct. 30, 2026, according to NASS.

USDA Launches New Round of Disaster Aid: What Producers Need to Know to Sign Up

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:35:13 GMT

USDA is launching the next phase of its Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) , aimed at farmers who suffered losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 . This new round — Stage 2 — was unveiled on Monday and is expected to be significantly more complex than earlier programs and will likely include a surge in enrollment from specialty crop growers.

Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce says this latest stage fills major gaps for producers who either lacked crop insurance altogether or whose losses didn’t quite trigger an indemnity payment. He also says this round of disaster aid is complex, and there are a few things producers can do in advance to make the sign-up process a little easier.

Stage 2 Designed for “Shallow Losses” and Quality Loss

Fordyce explains the scope of eligible disasters is much wider than many producers realize.

He says the qualifying events including everything from drought and wildfires to a derecho. He adds that the program is specifically geared toward losses that fell through the cracks of traditional programs.

“This supplemental disaster relief program is going to assist producers that either did not have crop insurance or their crop insurance didn’t trigger an indemnity, but it was close,” he says. “We call those shallow losses. And there’s also a quality loss component we haven’t really been able to address in previous programs.”

Fordyce says with this stage being more complex, there are two things he wants producers to know:

“I think I think number one, if you are in an area that had a weather disaster in 2023 and 2024, if you’re a producer, you think back, did I have a severe weather event, right? Hurricane, wildfire, derecho, freeze, drought, whatever, and it impacted my crop, then you’re probably eligible,” says Fordyce. “So just think back to 23 and 24. And then, contact that local FSA county office, go to the website. There’s resources on that website as well, and then just be thinking about documentation that could prove that loss. And I mean, I think depending on the crop, depending on the geography, you know, that documentation’s gonna be different.”

Specialty Crops Expected to Be a Major Share of Applicants

What crops will be covered? Fordyce emphasizes many specialty crop operations will find Stage 2 particularly valuable.

“What we think will be crops that will probably have a higher subscription rate through this program are gonna be specialty crops. So it’ll be again what you think of as conventional specialty crops, you know, grapes, so it’s trees, vines, bushes would be you know, probably more more of those crops that would be included,” he says.

He notes that Stage 1 was largely focused on crops with well-established crop insurance data streams, such as major row crops.

“This one’s going to be harder, more complicated, because the data isn’t as uniform and the crop mix is so diverse,” he says.

Producers MUST Enroll in Person, Fordyce Urges Them to Prepare Now

One of the biggest changes in Stage 2 is how growers must apply. Unlike Stage 1, USDA is not mailing pre-filled applications. Producers must go to their FSA county office and work through the application with staff.

Fordyce says with this round being more complicated, preparation is key, but USDA has created a clear and concise checklist to help .

“We’re asking folks to call the local county office to set up an appointment,” he says. “We want to use the producer’s time in the best way we can. This is not something where you just walk in and hope to get it done quickly. There are documents we need, and the more a producer gets ahead of that, the smoother the process will be.”

USDA has published a detailed checklist at FSA.usda.gov/SDRP , and Fordyce encourages producers not to wait.

“It’s a list of documents you really should start getting your hands on, and if you don’t have documentation for something, the checklist also lays out acceptable ways you can substantiate the loss,” he says. “Depending on the crop and the geography, what counts as documentation is going to be different. That’s why we want folks to look at it now, not when they’re sitting in the county office.”

He stresses early preparation will matter because demand will be high.

“This one’s more complicated than Stage 1, no question, and it’s going to take more work from producers and from our county offices,” he says.

Billions Already Distributed And Billions More to Come

SDRP Stage 2 is part of the $30 billion disaster and economic assistance package Congress authorized.

Fordyce explains: “SDRP Stage 2 is part of the $30 billion Congress appropriated back in December. The first $10 billion was the economic aid program, then $6 billion for SDRP Stage 1. When we wrap up SDRP Stage 2, we will have administered all $30 billion in disaster and economic relief.”

What Farmers Need to Know

1. You must enroll in person at your FSA county office.

No prefilled applications will be mailed.
Call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Expect longer processing due to program complexity.

2. Stage 2 covers 2023 through 2024 weather-related losses.

Includes “too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy” and other major events.
Eligibility includes shallow losses and quality losses.

3. Specialty crops likely benefit most.

Trees, vines, bushes, grapes and other specialty crops are expected to represent the majority of applicants.

4. Prepare documents in advance.

Use the SDRP checklist at FSA.usda.gov/SDRP .
Documentation varies by crop and region.

Market Loss Payments Still Being Debated, Prices at Harvest Are a Concern

Producers are still asking about potential market loss payments tied to tariff impacts and trade disruptions. While some hope an announcement will come before year-end, Fordyce cautions nothing is final.

“We’re having conversations almost daily with the Secretary’s office, the chief economist’s office, the White House,” he says. “When and if we do something, we want it to be well informed through the data we have. We want it to reflect where we are today, but also, it has to reflect where we were because many producers sold crops at harvest when prices were low. We know that.”

He stresses any decision must accurately reflect the full picture.

“There’s nothing decided yet, no imminent announcement I’m aware of, but the points producers are raising are the same ones we’re discussing internally,” Fordyce says.

Cotton Farmers and Other Struggling Commodities Are Part of the Conversation

Fordyce says USDA is closely tracking severe distress in cotton country.

“There are multiple commodities that are part of the conversation,” he says. “China is the big name because of soybean and sorghum exports, but there are other factors affecting other commodities too. When we make a decision, it’s going to be informed, it’s going to be representative of where we are, and it’s going to rely on the data we have access to.”

Borrower Limits Remain a Roadblock

As lenders warn of widespread stress, many producers want USDA to raise loan limits for beginning farmers and other borrowers. Fordyce says USDA cannot make that change without congressional action.

“Loan limits are statutory,” he explains. “We had a significant increase in 2018, but prices, land values and equipment costs have all shifted since then. We have champions in Congress who understand the inadequacies of our loan limits, and they want to increase them. We’ll see where that goes.”

USDA Leadership Knows the Stakes

Fordyce says USDA leaders understand, personally, the financial strain farmers face.

“My first operating loan was in 1983 at about 18% interest,” he says. “And I still wanted to farm. There are people up and down the hallways of USDA leadership who have farmed, who are farming or who have direct ties to a farm. There’s absolutely a 100% understanding of what’s happening both broadly and commodity by commodity, region by region.”

AgriTalk’s Chip Flory also talked to Farm CPA Paul Nieffer about the latest round of disaster aid. You can listen to that conversation as he outlines what farmers need to know.

How Farmers, Grocers Meet Food Banks' 'Tsunami' of Need

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:00:33 GMT

As the USDA said late last week that it would not tap into contingency funds for the November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit disbursement, food recovery organizations, food banks and food pantries have begun bracing for what will likely be an influx of need, says Rod Wieber, executive director of Feeding Northwest.

Wieber says that with s ome of the federal funding cuts to programs earlier this year and furloughed military families have already increased the need for food assistance programs. Feeding Northwest distributes fresh produce not only to the Northwest but to food banks throughout the country.

“It’s like this little tsunami; it just kind of keeps building, little wave after wave,” he says.

“You’ve got this receding federal support that’s been there for years, but then you have this little tidal wave of need that’s coming in and that’s just been building here over the last several months. Now we know that there’s this looming impact with SNAP here this weekend, and our food banks are just fielding calls.”

Pacific Northwest

Eric Williams, community partnerships director at Second Harvest Inland Northwest, which serves central and eastern Washington and northern Idaho, says last fiscal year Second Harvest Inland Northwest distributed more than 37.5 million pounds of food, or about 18 semi loads a week.

“Our job is to get large amounts of food in the door and then back out the door to a network of well over 200 food banks, food pantries across that region that’s over 50,000 square miles,” he says.

It’s been a noticeable uptick in need already, according to Williams.

“It’s stark,” he says.

Williams says Second Harvest Inland Northwest holds mobile markets, which usually disperse about 250 30- to 40-pound boxes to families.

“We had one in the Spokane Valley yesterday and another one in Wenatchee. In the Spokane Valley we served 474 families, and in Wenatchee we served 485 and turned at least 60 cars away,” he says.

Wieber, too, says he’s been in meetings this week with food banks across the state and most express concern at the uncertainty of need. These food banks know the need will increase, but they’re not sure by how much.

“We’re just seeing new faces showing up at our food bank now,” he says he’s heard some of the food banks say.

And Wieber says that while it’s likely that there will be a groundswell of donations and volunteers around the holiday season, most organizations don’t know if it will be enough to offset the increased demand. Wieber says with a greater need comes greater monetary resources to transport the food to rural communities and smaller food pantries in urban neighborhoods.

“That’s the unknown right now is will there be enough to support that groundswell of need that’s going to be out there?” he says. “Yes, we do see people definitely dig in their pockets and purchase additional pantry supplies to help food banks and support with their time, but is it going to be enough with this bigger need that’s out there?”

Food recovery organization Spoonfuls partners with food retailers and brands to pick up excess or unsold food — including produce — and deliver it to community-based organizations across Massachusetts.

(Photo courtesy of Spoonfuls)

Northeast

Liz Miller, senior manager of community relations for Massachusetts-based Spoonfuls, says the partner organizations that Spoonfuls supports have come together to discuss how best to help fulfill this anticipated need in a coordinated effort.

“We’ve received like an influx of partner inquiries from new partners looking for food,” she says. “Our existing partners are reaching out, asking what our plan is and how we are responding. Folks are talking about how to coordinate efforts.”

In 2024, Spoonfuls says it recovered 5.5 million pounds of food, most of which was fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. Its efforts helped more than 370,000 individuals in the state.

Miller says partner organizations have also communicated how many of the SNAP benefit recipients will need to learn how to access food in ways they haven’t had to before.

“Everybody is very much in this moment just trying to figure it out and asking a lot of questions and not yet really landing on solutions,” she says. “I’ve even heard some pantries say, ‘We’re already at capacity with what we’re able to do and who we’re serving, and we don’t envision ourselves being an effective stopgap in this moment as much as we want to be.’”

Miller says this could mean these food pantries Spoonfuls supports don’t have enough volunteers or the space to take on additional storage to meet this unknown but likely increasing need.

“It’s really just everybody very much scrambling to figure something out and trying their best to work together but also being laser-focused on how they support their own communities,” she says.

Miller, too, says it’s important to point out that the loss of SNAP benefits will have a big ripple effect on the economy.

“It’s going to have a pretty sizable impact on a lot of retailers,” she says. “I’ve heard in some regions of Massachusetts and in urban areas, the revenue generated by SNAP is in some places 50% to 60% of what retailers are bringing in. When this SNAP money disappears, those retailers are going to be hit very heavily.”

Midwest

“None of us will know exactly what the demand is going to be, but we know that it’s going to be increased,” says Jada Hoerr, chief resource officer of Midwest Food Bank. “Where we shine is that we can be nimble to provide support to our nonprofit partners the best that we can.”

Hoerr says that although food banks and pantries expect the need for resources will grow in the coming weeks, a bright spot in all of this is the collaborative spirit of these organizations.

“The emergency food system is resilient,” she says. “The nonprofit partners, the food banks, the food donors — we do all the best we can to get food to those people in a time of need. That’s a resilient system, and I have high confidence that there will be increased demand, and it will be a challenge, but we will provide solutions.”

The Midwest Food Bank has 10 locations as well as remote locations throughout the country in the Midwest, East Coast, South and Southwest and serves more than 2,400 nonprofit partners.

“We’re just doing everything we can in this moment to say yes, to be able to procure the food so that we can be ready to distribute it to our nonprofit partners,” she says. “In some cases, we’ve added partners.”

Hoerr says that this uncertainty could cause some to become downtrodden and that she knows being of service is the best way to step up to the plate at this time of great need.

“We just need problem-solving and a steady focus on our mission, and that’s going to serve the food-insecure the best possible,” she says.

Food donation.

(Photo: Krakenimages.com, Adobe Stock)

Community Impact

Williams and those working in the food recovery space say that meeting this expected increase in need is not possible without growers, retailers, distributors and more. Williams says about 87% to 92% of Second Harvest Inland Northwest’s food comes from private donations.

“It’s the first harvest that makes the second harvest possible,” Williams says. “And it’s that generosity that gets that food to us.”

And he says it would be easy to get bogged down in this overwhelming sense of anticipated need; he says a good, healthy dose of optimism doesn’t hurt.

“To be a food banker, you’ve got to be optimistic and kind of have that ‘the glass is three-quarters full’ outlook,” he says. “The generosity of the farmers, the ranchers, the orchardists, the grocers, the manufacturers in this region who make it all possible for us — just taking a second and reflecting on their generosity really helps you through. To get that generosity and graciousness of the people who donate food and funds and time, that’s what keeps our spirits up.”

Wieber says part of his role is to help spread the wealth, sending loads of fresh produce to Houston, Minnesota and more.

“It’s great to have this industry that you know supports us because we couldn’t do our work without them,” he says. “We take for granted here in Washington state that we have apples year-round, but there’s other places that, while they can get them, they just don’t see them in the supply that we do. So, to be able to share that abundance with other places besides here in the Northwest, it’s great, it’s wonderful to do. We’re thankful for the people that we work with in the industry that support us in that way.”

Hoerr also says she’s grateful for the critical role that food donors play for the Midwest Food Bank.

“We’re thankful for the opportunity to distribute it to individuals and nonprofits that are in need,” she says.

And Miller encourages those who want to get involved but aren’t sure how best to help to reach out to the local organizations.

“For many, it’s probably financial resources; for some, it might be volunteer resources,” she says. “The good news is I think some programs are hearing from folks in ways they weren’t before.”

But she tempers that with the economic reality that some people may not be able to give more.

“The need has increased so much,” she says. “The cuts that we’ve already experienced has already put more pressure on the philanthropic. The demand there was already higher and in some cases the willingness to give has shifted because of the uncertain economic times, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag.”

Miller says it’s important to communicate the vital role that SNAP and food recovery programs play in communities.

“Make that point to legislators and to the USDA, that is responsible for SNAP funding, to really hammer home that point that it’s so much more than just feeding people; it’s an economic driver,” she says.

Hoerr says that she’s definitely seen an increase in financial donations and those wanting to volunteer.

“We need more, but I think just that people are starting to prepare themselves to be community advocates,” she says. “We want to encourage that and provide a safe place for people to donate their funds and to donate their time to help be a good neighbor to their community.”

Your Next Read:

25 States Sue Trump Administration Over Suspending SNAP Benefits

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:16:40 GMT

A coalition of Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday, seeking to avert what would be a historic lapse in food aid for millions of Americans that is set to begin Nov. 1 amid an ongoing government shutdown.

The lawsuit represents a critical challenge to the USDA’s decision not to use $6 billion in contingency funds to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, which costs about $8 billion monthly.

At stake is whether more than 41 million low-income Americans will receive their November benefits, which would mark the first time payments have lapsed due to a government shutdown in the program’s 60-year history.

“The federal government has the money to continue funding SNAP benefits — they’re choosing to harm millions of families across the country already struggling to make ends meet,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a social media post about the lawsuit filed in Boston federal court by attorneys general and governors from 25 states and the District of Columbia.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama.

She set a hearing for Thursday on whether to issue a temporary restraining order forcing the USDA to use available contingency funds for November SNAP benefits.

The USDA’s shutdown plan had included the potential use of contingency funds for SNAP, but on Saturday, the department updated its website to say no benefits would be issued on Nov. 1 as scheduled, stating “the well has run dry.”

The lawsuit argues the suspension of benefits is arbitrary and being carried out in violation of the law and regulations governing the program, which requires that “assistance under this program shall be furnished to all eligible households.”

The lawsuit, led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts, California, Arizona and Minnesota, says the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 makes clear that the contingency funds should be used when necessary to carry out program operations.

“Millions of Americans are about to go hungry because the federal government has chosen to withhold food assistance it is legally obligated to provide,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the USDA in a statement said Senate Democrats are approaching an inflection point where they either “hold out for the far-left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”

SNAP benefits are available to Americans whose income is less than 130% of the federal poverty line, or $1,632 a month for a one-person household, or $2,215 for a two-person household in many areas.

SNAP benefits are paid out monthly, although the exact date payments are distributed varies among states, which are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the benefits.

The shutdown also threatens benefits for nearly 7 million participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

What Are the Odds of Congress Passing a Farm Bill 2.0 and Trade Aid Package in 2025?

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:20:48 GMT

When it comes to getting a new farm bill done in 2025, U.S. farmers might have to settle for the farm bill provisions passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Despite the renewed push from farm groups and both House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to get a comprehensive or even a skinny farm bill done yet in 2025, some Washington insiders are doubtful it can get passed this year or even next year.

The House and Senate Ag Committees are planning to work on language yet this fall on a Farm bill 2.0., but at least one Washington ag lobbyist thinks it will be difficult to get passed.

Jay Truitt, principal with Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expects objections to the high price tag by those outside of agriculture.

Cost is the Sticking Point

“They’re still asking why it costs so much ... they don’t understand not all the programs are permanent, and even the programs that are permanent are way different than what permanent law reads,” he says. “People don’t really get that outside of ag — they just see the big numbers.”

Truitt says there will be party line battles as well over the remaining farm bill titles, the biggest being nutrition, which accounts for over 80% of farm bill expenditures.

“We’re going to have a fight over SNAP versus program dollars for agriculture research and market development,” he explains.

Farm Aid Inclusion Could Further Stall a New Farm Bill

Plys, what if the agriculture committees try to include farm aid?

In 2019, the Market Facilitation Program cost $23 billion. Truitt says any dollar amount at or above that level in the farm bill would be scrutinized by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“To do a farm bill and to do an aid package that deals with how China has disrupted trade all over the world, especially in grains and oil seeds, that’s a bridge too far,” he speculates.

Where Could Farm Aid Funding Come From?

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told RFD-TV this week USDA is releasing another $13 billion of aid payments in the next six to eight weeks, as part of the $30 billion Congress passed for disaster and market assistance.

However, as far as additional farm aid payments to compensate for the trade war with China, Truitt says Rollins would need to take that out of the Commodity Credit Corporation.

The other option that has been suggested to fund payments, such as the $23 billion producers saw in 2019 as part of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), is tariff revenues.

But Truitt says the agriculture secretary doesn’t have discretion to use those dollars.

“She can’t just reach over into the general revenue pot and spend that money without Congress giving her some authority somehow,” he adds.

If aid is included in a skinny farm bill, the fight could get drug out even longer. That’s why Truitt thinks Congress will have difficulty passing the legislation next year, and the debate could even get pushed into 2027.

USDA Extends Reorganization Comment Period to Sept. 30

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:50:51 GMT

The USDA has extended the public comment period for its proposed reorganization plan , with the new deadline set for Sept. 30.

Originally, the comment period was slated to end on Aug. 26, according to the USDA’s Aug. 1 emailed version of the announcement . This was then changed to Aug. 31 late in August , and then again to Sept. 30 on Aug. 28.

According to the comment notice page , anyone interested in commenting on the proposed reorganization can provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov .

Proposed Reorganization

The reorganization plan , announced July 24, proposes to move over half of USDA personnel residing in the Washington, D.C., area to one of five hub locations across the country: Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort Collins, Colo.; Raleigh, N.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Kansas City, Mo.

In addition to moving personnel, the plan outlines several location closures and downsizing of physical facilities, primarily in the nation’s capital.

The plan’s stated goal for these and other changes is “to achieve improved effectiveness and accountability, enhanced services, reduced bureaucracy and cost savings for the American people.”

The Senate Ag Committee held a hearing shortly after the reorganization plan was announced, with senators from both sides chiding Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden for not including Congress in the decision. In his recently-released written responses to senators’ many questions , Vaden repeatedly answered that more information will be shared following the closing of the public comment period.

USDA Plan to Close Flagship Research Site Threatens Critical Research, Critics Warn

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:13:43 GMT

USDA’s plan to close its flagship laboratory near Washington, D.C., could undermine research on pests, blight and crop genetics crucial to American farms, according to lawmakers, a farm group and staff of the facility.

The USDA has already lost thousands of research staff to President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal government, even as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has said farm research is a pillar of national security.

Rollins said in July the USDA will close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, which occupies nearly 7,000 acres in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, as part of an agency reorganization effort that will also move roughly half its Washington-area staff to hubs in North Carolina, Utah and elsewhere.

The agency says it is closing BARC and several other USDA buildings because of costly necessary renovations and underutilized space. Workers at BARC in 2023 filed whistleblower complaints about unsafe working conditions there.

But critics of the plan to close BARC say it could backfire by interrupting the facility’s ongoing research, and by pushing the scientists conducting it to resign.

“It is unlikely that senior scientists of this caliber with mature research partnerships and rich professional lives will simply move somewhere else,” says Donnell Brown, president of the National Grape Research Alliance, which depends on BARC research into vine stress and water usage.

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, also slams the plan.

“You have a lot of people who have invested their time and effort in research for farmers across the country, and this plan would destroy that ongoing research,” he says.

Three staff at the facility, who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution, say the co-location of many labs at BARC allows for economies of scale and cost savings, and that the proximity to Washington enables researchers to easily brief lawmakers or other parts of USDA.

A USDA spokesperson says the $500 million required to modernize the BARC facility, plus another $40 million in annual maintenance, was not a wise use of taxpayer funds and that the agency’s other laboratories could house BARC research.

Rollins said in a July memo outlining the relocation effort that the BARC facility would be closed over several years to avoid disruptions to critical research.

USDA on July 25 told the House of Representatives and Senate agriculture and appropriations committees that it did not have data or analysis underpinning its reorganization plan to share with members of Congress or their staff, according to a letter sent from Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee to Rollins on Aug.14.

“Ostensibly they’re saying it would save money, but I haven’t seen any study that suggests that’s the case,” says U.S. Representative Glenn Ivey, whose Maryland district contains the BARC site.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler)

USDA Ends Programs for Solar, Wind Projects On Farms

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:54:11 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer support solar and wind projects on productive farmland, said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a post on X on Monday.

The move is the latest in a series of actions by the administration of President Donald Trump to stall development of wind and solar energy, which Trump says are unreliable, expensive and dependent on Chinese supply chains.

“Millions of acres of prime farmland is left unusable so Green New Deal subsidized solar panels can be built. This destruction of our farms and prime soil is taking away the futures of the next generation of farmers and the future of our country,” Rollins said on X.

The USDA has provided over $2 billion for renewable energy projects, like solar and wind, through its Rural Energy for America Program, according to the agency website. The agency has also supported clean energy projects for rural electric cooperatives.

The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About 424,000 acres (1,715 square kilometers) of rural land were affected by wind turbines and solar farms in 2020, less than 0.05% of the nearly 900 million acres used for farmland, according to a 2024 USDA study. Most of that land stayed in agricultural production after the development of the solar or wind projects, the study found.

The administration of former President Joe Biden supported solar and wind projects in rural areas and on farms as part of its effort to cut climate-harming emissions and make clean energy more affordable.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles, CA; Editing by Leslie Adler, Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)

Rollins Names New Leaders for USDA at State Fair

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:03:52 GMT

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced President Donald Trump’s nominations of key USDA leadership at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 9. There were three nominees in total, which Rollins described as rounding out the senior leadership of USDA. She additionally praised the nominees for having hit the ground running.

“Glen, Mindy and Yvette are proven leaders who will serve America well at USDA, ensuring the American people have restored trust in our services and they will drive policy that increases rural prosperity. When our farmers and ranchers succeed, all of America succeeds,” Rollins says.

The nominees and their potential roles are:

Mindy Brashears, undersecretary for food safety — From West Texas and professor of food microbiology and food safety at Texas Tech University. Brashears served in this role during the first Trump administration. The role oversees the Food Safety and Inspection Service among other duties.
Yvette Herrell, assistant secretary of the Office of Congressional Relations — Herrell was previously the 51^st District representative in the New Mexico Legislature, then the U.S. representative for New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. The role of assistant secretary of the Office of Congressional Relations aids in liaising with members of Congress on USDA priorities.
Glen Smith, undersecretary of rural development — From Atlantic, Iowa, Smith was designated chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration during the first Trump administration. The role of undersecretary of rural development focuses expanding economic opportunities, creating jobs and improving the quality of life for rural Americans via loan and grant programs.

In the same announcement, Rollins also announced five appointments within the agency. The appointments and their roles are as follows:

Jason Allen, senior adviser for the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement — From northern Michigan, Allen is a former Michigan state congressman and previously served as the state director for USDA Rural Development in Michigan. In this new role, Allen will advise the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement on potential solutions to issues faced by rural Americans and areas for public-private partnerships.
Michael Pape, chief of staff for rural utilities service — Pape worked for over 21 years as the district director for Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) where he focused on agriculture, energy, telecommunications, transportation, healthcare and many other issues impacting rural communities in Kentucky. As the chief of staff to Karl Elmshaeuser, the Rural Utilities Service administrator, Pape will organize in the daily functions of the service that offers funding programs to update, maintain or build key rural utilities infrastructure, including water.
Anna Pilato, chief of staff for the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement — Pilato previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for external affairs during the first Trump administration. She has an extensive history managing communications in federal and state government, as well as consulting for Christian health groups. In this new role, she will organize daily functions of the office focused on liaising with rural communities.
Anthony Priest, chief of staff for the Rural Housing Service administrator — A graduate of Georgia Tech, the Harvard Business School and the University of Virginia, Priest has worked in a variety of industries, including real estate. As the chief of staff to George Kelly, the Rural Housing Service administrator, Priest will organize in the daily functions of the service that offers funding programs to build or improve housing in rural areas.
Neal Robbins, deputy undersecretary for rural development — From Asheboro, N.C., Robbins aids in rural development’s efforts to help rural Americans via financing programs. He previously served in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and recently as publisher of the state’s newspaper, the North State Journal.

“At USDA we are ensuring American agriculture will be strong, secure and resilient by safeguarding our food supply, strengthening critical infrastructure and defending U.S. agricultural innovation from foreign adversaries,” Rollins adds. “We need all of our Senate confirmed nominees in the building as soon as possible, we have no time to waste to save our family farms.”

USDA Awards Millions for Packaging Innovation Research

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:15:37 GMT

Packaging is an unsung hero of fresh produce accessibility and sustainability. Improvements in packaging have allowed more fruit and vegetables to make it to more consumers and last longer. Feeding more people and reducing food waste is a win-win born of continued innovation.

USDA recently announced it has awarded almost $10.5 million to fund continued improvements in produce packaging.

Western Growers received $486,000 of those funds as part of the 2025 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program. The funds will continue the work of the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment for North America (SPPA) , a partnership between Western Growers and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association that started last year.

SPPA’s goal is to address the evolving landscape of packaging requirements across governments and retailers throughout North America, something Jeana Cadby, director of environment and climate at Western Growers, calls “an incongruent mish-mash of contradictory regulations.”

She explains that not only are there different regulations for sustainable packaging between the U.S. and Canada, but states often have varying standards for what can be recycled or counts as compostable. Even retailers have their own sustainability efforts.

“Say you have Produce Buyer A over here who wants only compostable packaging and Produce buyer B over there who only wants recycled content. You’ll have these different requirements, and you have to figure out how to ensure the packaging has the same functionality,” she says. “There’s need for harmonization here.”

SPPA is trying to bring that harmony to the packaging innovation landscape. It is developing guidelines for industry to align packaging development efforts with the disparate requirements while maintaining functionality.

“What the funding can do is really expand the work that we’re doing, so we can do more outreach and get more stakeholder input, which is always critical,” Cadby says.

All of this serves the paired goals of getting more healthy food to more people and reducing food waste.

“What’s unique about fresh produce is that it is alive. We harvest the fresh produce, and the job of the packaging is to keep it as fresh and alive for as long as we possibly can,” Cadby says.

She added that those working in produce packaging innovation are “being really intentional about being good stewards of the environment and also provide ... fresh, safe and affordable fresh produce.”

Other Awards From USDA

On July 29, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service additionally launched its Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab , part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports Initiative. The effort is intended to help U.S. fresh produce exporters stay competitive with rapidly evolving international packaging requirements.

The lab will be led by Clemson University and the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foundation for Fresh Produce and will be administered by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research .

“This lab is all about enabling U.S. specialty crop exporters to succeed in markets that now demand sustainable packaging,” James Sternberg, assistant professor of sustainable packaging at Clemson and a leader of the initiative, said in a news release. “We’re building the future of ag packaging with real-world technologies that ensure compliance and competitiveness.”

The lab’s first round of funding has already been awarded to 22 grant recipients. They include:

Akorn Technology Inc. — Validating an edible thin-film coating for cucumbers and bell peppers.
Corumat Inc. — Piloting compostable bioplastic styrofoam-like packaging for berries, tree fruit and fresh-cut produce.
Metalchemy — Developing biodegradable antimicrobial packaging to extend the shelf life of table grapes, berries, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Nat4Bio — Finalizing a biopolymer coating apples, citrus, pears and blueberries.
Nvirovate Materials — Testing compostable PLU labels for compliance with foreign regulatory requirements for apples.
PeelON — Piloting compostable plant-based thin film and bags for leafy greens, citrus, grapes, blueberries and fresh herbs.
Sway — Scaling compostable seaweed-based packaging for table grapes, cherries, citrus, apples and leafy greens.
Vireo Advisors — Establishing a food-grade production process for cellulose-based food coating and achieving regulatory approval for cherries and blueberries.

For a full list of grantee winners and their projects, visit the SPIL webpage on www.fas.usda.gov .

USDA Opens Public Comment Period on Reorganization Plan

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 18:24:03 GMT

Late in the evening Aug. 1, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period on the agency’s recently released reorganization plan .

According to the announcement, “all stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov .” The comment period ends on Aug. 26.

The call for public comment came after USDA’s reorg plan received strong pushback from Congress during a July 30 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.

“It is unacceptable that we learned about this proposal just minutes before it was announced,” said Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “It is apparent that USDA did not consult with or even bother to notify Congress with this plan.”

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. — Senate Ag Committee member as well as chairman of Senate’s Appropriations Committee’s agricultural subcommittee — voiced support for the agency’s goals.

“But we want it to be a process where you work with Congress, with the Senate, both the authorizing committee and the appropriations committee on it, and we achieve those results together, and I think that’ll help garner a lot more support for the effort,” he said.

Others have pushed back against the reorganization plan as well. National WIC Association President and CEO Georgia Machell , for example, described the effort as “politically motivated acts of bureaucratic disruption, designed to erode USDA’s ability to function.”

Some have voiced support for the reorg plan, however. The California Avocado Commission endorsed the move , with the commission’s president, Ken Melban, describing Rollins as “helping restore confidence among growers and consumers alike.”

USDA Reorganization Draws Fire From Both Sides of Aisle

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:54:08 GMT

USDA’s reorganization plan is already drawing questions and fire from both sides of the aisle in Congress. The Senate Ag Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to get more details about its plan to relocate 2,600 employees from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs to achieve $4 billion in savings.

USDA’s makeover plans took Congress by surprise, and at this week’s Senate Ag Committee hearing, Democratic members blasted Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden, including the ranking member.

“It is unacceptable that we learned about this proposal just minutes before it was announced,” said Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “The first months of this administration do not inspire confidence given the months of freezes, cancellations, unfreezes, firings, hiring back, lease terminations, firings and subsequent attempts to rehire veterinarians, farm loan officers and other critical positions.

“It is apparent that USDA did not consult with or even bother to notify Congress with this plan,” she said.

Stephen Vaden, deputy secretary of USDA, told the committee that was by design.

“The employees are the ones who are most directly affected by the secretary’s decision,” he said. “Out of common courtesy and respect, they should hear that decision from the secretary first and not from a leak that originates from somewhere else.“

Vaden said he understands the need to work with Congress but the consultation process has just started.

“The 30-day notification period required by law ensures that now is the time for us to receive feedback from stakeholders, from our employees and from members of Congress as well,” he said.

As part of the process, Vaden and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will be conducting site inspections.

“We will be engaging in further conversations with USDA’s eight mission areas as well as their agency leadership on connecting the right functions of each agency and mission area to a particular hub location,” he said.

They’ll also work with the General Services Administration regarding leases in the hubs and in Washington, Vaden added.

Senator Klobuchar also expressed concern about how this will impact ag research.

“Do you believe that vacating research sites, eliminating offices and losing researchers will improve outcomes for farmers who depend on this research?” she asked Vader.
Vaden responded: “Senator, 91 of 94 ARS research labs are unaffected by the secretary’s memorandum.”

Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozeman, R-Ark., added they support efficiency and cost savings, but not at the expense of service to farmers.

“Can you tell us about how the plan is going to improve programs that support Americans who live in rural areas as we go forward?” Boozeman asked.

Vaden said it’s a greater ability to attract talent that is going to improve.

“It’s going to allow us to build the next generation of USDA leadership. Simply put, the hardest problem that any federal agency faces, and this is not limited to the Department of Agriculture, is talent retention,” he said. “The cost of living here in Washington, D.C. is prohibitive.”

Vaden added that cost of living was the principal consideration for where to put the hubs.
North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, R-N.D., who is also the appropriations chair, told Vaden the agency needs to work with, not against Congress.

“We support the goals, but we want it to be a process where you work with Congress, with the Senate, both the authorizing committee and the appropriations committee on it, and we achieve those results together, and I think that’ll help garner a lot more support for the effort,” Hoeven said.

Hoeven also questioned the location of the five hubs and if they were open for discussion.

“Senator, if you read the memorandum, it has built-in flexibility,” Vaden said. “The memorandum lays out a vision, but then there is a line in that memorandum which says the vision and the plans laid out here can change.”

Hoeven said USDA will need show flexibility to get their plan to the finish line.

California Avocado Commission Commends USDA Reorganization

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 20:35:39 GMT

The California Avocado Commission (CAC) has endorsed Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ announcement of a USDA reorganization that it says strengthens the department’s ability to serve farmers and safeguard the nation’s food supply.

“Secretary Rollins has demonstrated clear-eyed leadership and a deep understanding of what America’s agricultural communities need from USDA,” says Ken Melban, CAC president. “By reinforcing the department’s focus on essential services such as plant health, food safety and inspection integrity, she is helping restore confidence among growers and consumers alike. We’re grateful for her commitment to public service and to the long-term health of American agriculture.”

CAC says the reorganization reduces administrative redundancy, relocates key USDA operations to five regional hubs and preserves all critical functions related to public health and agricultural security. Rollins emphasized the need to bring the USDA “closer to its customers” while maintaining uninterrupted support for high-priority roles across wildfire prevention, food safety and plant protection.

More than 50 job classifications have been exempted from hiring freezes, including those related to the inspection and safety of the nation’s food supply, according to a news release. The department confirmed that all essential services will remain active during and after the transition.

CAC says a continued focus on inspection reliability, both at home and in key trading partner nations, will be vital to maintaining crop security, consumer confidence and international market access.

The commission also expressed its readiness to support USDA’s implementation efforts and to work in partnership with the department and other stakeholders to advance sound, science-based agricultural policy.

Appeals Court Upholds USDA Certification

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:07:21 GMT

The U.S. 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a part of USDA’s organic standards that had been challenged by Pratum Farm, an organic hazelnut farm in Salem, Ore., and its owners Bruce and Paula Kaser.

Pratum Farm argued that a USDA regulation favors foreign imports and allows for a small percentage of farms within the group to undergo on-site inspections.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon dismissed the original lawsuit , and the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal by Pratum Farms.

The court determined that Pratum Farms failed to present facts to show injury and does not have an ownership interest in the USDA Organic seal and that the company failed to show the regulation caused competitive injury and imminent economic injury.

“This decision affirms that grower group certification, while managed differently, is still a credible and rigorous form of organic oversight,” the Organic Trade Association wrote in a ruling summary.

Potato Farmers, Specialty Crop Growers See Record $2.5B in USDA Funding

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:53:50 GMT

At a time when potato and other specialty crop farmers face a multitude of challenges in an increasingly competitive market, some relief came this week from USDA to the tune of $2.5 billion dollars. To learn more about the current climate of challenges and opportunities for U.S. potato growers, The Packer spoke Wednesday with Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.

Editor’s note: The following has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve described the combined USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) and the reconciliation bill or “Big Beautiful Bill’s” $2.5 billion cash allocation to specialty crops as “mind blowing.” Let’s start with MASC. What can you tell us about how this came to be and how it’s impacting farmers?

Quarles: This all started in back in November of last year. Congress recognized that growers — Title 1 growers, or what we call the program crops — were dealing with some historic economic challenges around production of their commodities. That economic environment was the exact same one that the specialty crop industry was facing.

The problem was that Congress just didn’t have the money to deliver disaster relief payments both to the program crops and to fruits and vegetables. And so, what some creative folks on Capitol Hill, as well as down at the Department of Agriculture, did was use USDA’s existing authority to deliver what’s called the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program. It’s using their existing authority to deliver disaster relief payments just for specialty crops.

An initial round of payments went out around the first of the year [and then] more money was injected because the problem got bigger. With the change in administration, those payments were paused for a period of time. But about two weeks ago, [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins announced that the second round of payments would come out.

They are being delivered to producers right now at light speed. All this week, I’ve been getting reports of folks getting those payments, and they’re coming at the perfect time for specialty crops, helping a lot of family farms in the potato industry. But it’s really broader than that — it’s fruit and vegetable farms across the U.S.

What are you hearing from farmers in terms of monies received and are you aware of a time frame for which the funds will be distributed?

The announcement was made about 10 days ago, and within 48 working hours I was hearing of producers receiving payments in their bank accounts. In federal government terms, that is faster than light speed. So, a huge credit to Secretary Rollins and also the entire team at the Farm Service Agency.

What were these relief funds in response to?

It was really a combination of things, but the simplest explanation is that five years ago when the economy slammed shut for COVID and then turned back on, the market corrected, then over corrected, and since then has been very chaotic. Things like inputs, fertilizer, crop protection tools, finding equipment to be able to ship your product — all of those things have just created a lot of volatility across the supply chain. And the program crops and the specialty crops are feeling it.

How has the “Big Beautiful Bill” impacted specialty crops in general and potatoes specifically?

It’s pretty amazing. You look at a six-day window in July, [where] you had these mass payments come out and you had an historic investment in specialty crops. And when it was all said and done, you had about $2.5 billion dollars between MASC and these farm bill enhancements that was injected into the specialty crop industry.

It is really impressive to see, for an industry that just really doesn’t see those type of investments very often, to have that all come in at one time and all in very necessary places, like for ag research, for foreign market promotion, for pest and disease eradication, for specialty crop block grant funding — all of these things coming into an industry that has been starving for them for a very long time.

Have specialty crops ever seen this level of federal funding before?

The short answer is no. These investments are now in place for things like the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, the Market Access Program, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the highest levels they have ever been. It’s really a historic level of funding.

If you go back 20 years ago, specialty crops had no programs in the farm bill. They were on the outside looking in. And now we’re at the highest levels we’ve ever seen. It’s very gratifying for an industry that’s never been more competitive, more volatile.

Let’s turn to tariffs. On Monday, President Trump sent letters communicating steep tariffs on certain countries, including 25% tariffs on Japan. When you and I spoke at Potato Expo in January, you said the U.S. potato industry has been keen to break into the Japanese market for years. How might these tariffs impact that aim?

I’m going to take the optimistic path here. I think these announcements that have come out in the last few days are encouraging interaction between both the Japanese and U.S. governments. When all is finalized, I don’t think that Japan is going to be facing 25% tariffs. I think both sides are going to get together and come up with a constructive settlement.

We want as part of that settlement for Japan, finally, to commit to opening its market to fresh potato exports from the United States. Again, the opportunity here is about $150 million a year in new U.S. ag exports to Japan.

We first made this request over 30 years ago, and it has really gone nowhere in the intervening time. Having potatoes as a piece of these negotiations will be a huge positive, both for U.S. growers — the exporters — but also for Japanese consumers and even Japanese farmers, because the demand in Japan far outstrips their domestic ability to supply that market. Japan doesn’t allow imports of fresh potatoes from anywhere in the world.

I would have been much more concerned if, if there wasn’t any indication of future negotiations, and that letter coming out to me was an invitation by the administration for Japan to sit down with them and figure this out.

At a press conference Tuesday, Secretary Rollins said that mass deportations will continue and there will be “no amnesty” for agricultural workers. How has the immigration crackdown impacted the potato industry labor force?

At the beginning of the administration, the understanding was that they were going to prioritize people who were criminals — clearly violent offenders who should never have been in the United States in the first place — and that farmworkers, who are out there creating great benefit for all American consumers every single day, were certainly not going to be at the top of that deportation list.

Things evolved over the past six or seven months, and we’re starting to see some raids on farms. It’s a challenging situation and a reality check for everyone who wants to talk about ag labor, but never really wants to involve themselves in it.

Congress has not been able to come to any type of settlement on how to deal with ag labor reform. You have had this massive group of improperly documented — they’re not undocumented — they’re improperly documented folks doing the work that benefits all of us every single day.

The folks who want to come up with some magical, easy solution believe that there’s some group of Americans out there who will do this work at the drop of a hat or there is some robot that is going to be turned on and dumped out in a field and will start harvesting any manner of commodities instantaneously — all of those solutions are fantasies.

There is no solution here to when you have the needs of 60% of labor dependent agriculture being performed by people who might get deported tomorrow. That is a recipe for every American to suffer if Congress, if the administration, don’t get together and solve this problem.

If the president will lean into ag labor reform, and shoot, he is a beneficiary. He’s a user of the H-2A program in some of his agricultural operations — his wineries. If the president will lean into that, he can generate a historic victory on something that everybody has been trying to move the needle on for decades. This hasn’t been seriously addressed since Ronald Reagan. President Trump has the ability to address this, but there is no magic, easy button here. This is going to take improvements in the H-2A program. It’s going to take serious discussion of how you deal with an enormous improperly documented labor force.

It is not the most complicated thing in the world to draw up the policy. The complicated part is generating the political will. That’s where we’ve lost over the past 20 years. The president can bring that political will back, and we’re very hopeful that he’s going to lean in, in a constructive way, on this.

Your next read: What’s in the Big Beautiful Bill for Fresh Produce?

USDA Takes 'Bold Action' to Crack Down on Foreign-Owned Farmland, Targets China

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:04:07 GMT

The Trump administration is focusing on national security in agriculture, which includes action to help eliminate foreign-owned farmland. USDA unveiled the National Farm Security Action Plan this week, a strategy that is aimed at protecting and securing American farmland from foreign influence, as well as defending innovation.

The plan is the next pillar of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ Make Agriculture Great Again initiative. USDA calls it a “historic plan” that “elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation’s national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation’s food and agricultural systems.”

The Trump administration has been facing increased pressure to crack down on the amount of foreign-owned farmland in the U.S., especially surrounding U.S. military bases.

“We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods,” said Rollins. “This Action Plan puts America’s farmers, families, and future first — exactly where they belong. Under President Trump’s leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers.

“Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries, and more than 265,000 acres in the United States are owned by Chinese nationals, much of which is located near critical U.S. military bases ,” Rollins also told reporters Monday.

USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan, announced today under @SecRollins' Make Agriculture Great Again initiative, safeguards our food supply, strengthens infrastructure, & defends U.S. ag innovation from foreign adversaries.

🔗https://t.co/8wl5YfIzju pic.twitter.com/cqRv4PU6Th
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) July 8, 2025

In what USDA calls “aggressive action,” the agency says it is addressing seven critical areas, which include:

Secure and protect American farmland — Address U.S. foreign farmland ownership from adversaries head on. Total transparency. Tougher penalties.
Enhance agricultural supply chain resilience — Refocus domestic investment into key manufacturing sectors and identify non-adversarial partners to work with when domestic production is not available. Plan for contingencies.
Protect U.S. nutrition safety net from fraud and foreign exploitation — Billions have been stolen by foreign crime rings. That ends now.
Defend agricultural research and innovation — No more sweetheart deals or secret pacts with hostile nations. American ideas stay in America.
Put America first in every USDA program — From farm loans to food safety, every program will reflect the America First agenda.
Safeguard plant and animal health — Crack down on bio-threats before they ever reach American soil.
Protect critical infrastructure — Farms, food and supply chains are national security assets — and will be treated as such.

Rollins wasn’t alone in unveiling the new plan. Along with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and several state governors, Rollins says the Trump administration is creating a united front to address foreign threats.

FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, the Trump Administration launched the National Farm Security Action plan to protect our farmland and food supply from foreign threats. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/hUwxknmGYK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2025

“Getting an understanding of why foreign entities, companies and individuals buy up land around those bases. That’s something I should be paying attention to,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the press conference this week.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins conducts a news conference to announce the National Farm Security Action Plan and “discuss actions being taken to protect American agriculture from foreign threats,” outside the USDA Whitten Building on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also appear.

((Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA))

USDA says it’s launching a new online portal for farmers, ranchers, and others to report possible false or failed reporting and compliance with respect to Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA).

“Further, the portal will receive and review claims of adversarial foreign influence on federal, state, and local policymakers with respect to purchases of U.S. farmland and business dealings in other facets of U.S. agricultural supply chains. Submissions may be accepted anonymously or contact information may be provided for appropriate follow up by USDA.”

As background, USDA explained AFIDA requires foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture. USDA says In January 2024, the Government Accountability Office published a report on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land, which provided recommendations for enhancing efforts to collect, track, and share key information to identify national security risks.

Increasing Biosecurity Threats

Rollins specifically mentioned increasing biosecurity threats from China.

As AgWeb reported in June , another Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological materials related to roundworms into the U.S. for work at a University of Michigan laboratory. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements.

That followed two Chinese nationals charged with trying to smuggle a fungus , Fusarium graminearum, into the U.S. just a week prior.

USDA says those recent events highlight the critical need for this action.

“Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with smuggling a noxious fungus into the United States — a potential agroterrorism weapon responsible for billions in global crop losses. The scheme involved a U.S. research lab and highlighted a disturbing trend: America’s enemies are playing the long game — infiltrating our research, buying up our farmland, stealing our technology, and launching cyberattacks on our food systems. These actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America’s food and agriculture supply chain,” USDA said in a release.

Foreign-Owned Farmland By the Numbers

The foreign-owned farmland piece drew this biggest coverage out of USDA’s announcement this week . As AgWeb reported last year , when you look at the numbers, China doesn’t own the most farmland in the U.S.. According to a USDA report, it’s actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres. But as USDA said on Tuesday, the concern is the amount of farmland owned by China is growing.

Foreign-Owned Land by County

(USDA)

Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%. Together, citizens in those countries hold 13 million acres, or 29%, of the foreign-held acres in the U.S. China owns less than 1%, or 349,442 acres.

All told, 43.4 million acres of forest and farmland in the U.S., or 3.4% of all ag land, is foreign owned as of Dec. 31, 2022. Roughly 30 million of those acres are reported as foreign owned, with the remainder primarily under a 10-year-or-longer lease. Of the 30 million, 66% is owner-operated, 14% has a tenant or sharecropper as the producer and 12% report a manager other than the owner or a tenant/sharecropper as producer. The remaining 7% are “NA.”

USDA says the two biggest Chinese-owned companies with land holdings in the U.S. are Brazos Highland and Murphy Brown LLC, which owns Smithfield Foods. Brazos Highland reported owning 102,345 acres, and Smithfield owns 97,975 acres.

The top five states with the largest Chinese holdings are:

Texas at 162,167 acres
North Carolina at 44,776 acres
Missouri at 43,071 acres
Utah at 32,447 acres
Virginia at 14,382 acres

USDA reports those five states combined account for 85% of China’s farmland ownership. In Texas, USDA reports China has long-term leases associated with wind energy, and in North Carolina and Missouri, ownership is tied to Smithfield and producers who contract for pork production.

Unintended Consequences?

Foreign-held farmland has become a hot-button topic on Capitol Hill, but some warn unintended consequences could impact agriculture, especially for those industries who have companies that are Chinese owned. Just take Smithfield as an example. If Smithfield is targeted, some fear that could create more consolidation in the hog industry.

“It’s an emotional issue, and it’s not a simple issue either,” Jim Wiesemeyer, a long-time Washington analyst, told AgWeb. “I was recently in Missouri, and some commodity leaders worry about the negative consequences of going too far. No one’s saying China should not be watched relative to buying farmland near airports, national security is involved in that case, but more than a few farmers are looking at the potential downsides for pork producers who contract with Smithfield and the number of acres they own.”

While there isn’t a single, comprehensive ban on China owning farmland across all states, many states have introduced or enacted laws restricting or prohibiting foreign ownership of agricultural land, with a focus on China. That includes Texas, Florida and several Midwestern states that have enacted laws restricting or banning purchases by specific countries, including China.

One of those unintended consequences played out in Arkansas when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders

In 2023, Arkansas became the first state to enforce a law banning certain foreign entities from owning agricultural land, specifically targeting those deemed “prohibited foreign parties.” This action was taken against a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds , a Chinese-owned company, ordering them to divest their farmland.

“I’m announcing Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned agrichemical company, must give up its landing holdings in Arkansas,” said Sanders, referencing a 160-acre research site owned by Northrup King Seed, a Syngenta subsidiary.

Sanders was present as USDA rolled out the new plan this week.

“Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security,” said Sanders. “I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rollins for putting America first with this bold USDA Action Plan to protect our food supply, our economy, and our freedom.”

It’s an issue that’s not going away. More states are considering addressing foreign-owned farmland with legislation, as well.

🇨🇳There’s a troubling correlation between Chinese-owned farmland in America and the location of our military bases.

🌾Assembly Bill 4781 by Asm. Alex Sauickie, Asw. Dawn Fantasia, and me would stop this in its tracks in New Jersey.

🚨With today’s announcement by the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/1CGA7K9Iwj
— Mike Inganamort (@MikeInganamort) July 8, 2025

States Applaud USDA’s Aggressive Plan

Governors and state agriculture secretaries were on hand for the announcement this week, applauding USDA’s plan.

“Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children’s heritage. The National Farm Security Action Plan puts America First by defending our farmland from foreign adversaries and protecting our food supply, and I thank the Trump Administration for its bold leadership,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

“Farm Security = Food Security = National Security. Thanks to these actions taken by President Trump and his team, we can further protect the backbone of Nebraska’s economy from foreign adversaries like China. Homeland security starts at home, and we will continue to do our part in Nebraska,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a news release.

“I am grateful for Secretary Brooke Rollins’ bold leadership in advancing USDA’s Ag Security Agenda, which prioritizes safeguarding American agriculture and farmland from those who seek to undermine our nation’s food and energy security. Iowa’s multi-generation family farms are the backbone of our state’s economy and way of life. For decades, Iowa has banned the foreign ownership of farmland, a law we strengthened in 2024, to preserve our agricultural integrity and security while balancing the need for foreign business investment in our state. I fully support Secretary Rollins’ and the Trump Administration’s efforts to bolster enforcement, increase reporting, and enhance transparency of land ownership laws at the national level to guarantee that our American farmland remains in the hands of Americans,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

Public Comments Open on USDA’s NEPA Cuts

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:28:06 GMT

USDA has proposed sweeping cuts in how it implements a law requiring public participation in its environmental actions. And the public can comment on it.

On July 3, USDA published a proposed interim final rule in the Federal Register that will change how the agency implements the National Environmental Policy Act . The move will drastically cut NEPA regulations from USDA processes.

Very generally, the proposed changes alter how and when USDA and its agencies can conduct environmental assessments, when environmental impact statements must be issued, and how they can be dealt with. These include extensive rescinding of NEPA regulations from USDA agency actions and making several USDA agencies mostly to entirely exempt from NEPA regulations.

The public can submit comments on the move via the Federal Register or Regulations.gov through July 30.

What’s behind these NEPA changes

NEPA is one of the oldest comprehensive environmental regulations in the U.S., signed into law Jan. 1, 1970. It requires federal entities to evaluate the environmental impacts of proposed actions, document their findings and make them available for public comment.

But the requirements have long been criticized for leading to endless litigation.

“USDA is updating and modernizing NEPA so projects critical to the health of our forests and prosperity of rural America are not stymied and delayed for years,” says U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in a June 30 news release ahead of the proposed interim final rule being published. She characterizes NEPA as an overly burdensome regulation. USDA describes its proposed changes as “resulting in a 66% reduction in regulations.”

USDA isn’t the only department making such moves, however. The Department of Transportation , Department of Energy , Department of Defense , and many others announced similar proposals. The different departments used similar language, describing the changes as “cutting red tape” and likely to minimize time-consuming litigation over agency projects.

Earthjustice, an environmental law firm frequently involved in NEPA-related lawsuits, characterizes the moves as cutting the public out of the federal decision-making process, however.

“NEPA — the People’s Environmental Law — plays a vital role in ensuring that government decisions are transparent, well-informed and accountable to the public,” says Andre Segura, Earthjustice vice president of litigation.

The government-wide moves to change how NEPA is implemented in federal departments are the result of several recent legislative and regulatory changes:

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 , in part, amended how NEPA should be implemented.
President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order directed the Council on Environmental Quality to provide guidance on how departments and agencies should implement some parts of NEPA and rescind others.
On Feb. 19, the CEQ issued a guidance memorandum directing federal agencies to revise their NEPA implementing procedures “to expedite permitting approvals” and to be consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

USDA change details

USDA’s proposed changes include the agency-wide removal of several sections of NEPA ( 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508 ). These sections deal with definitions, purpose and scope, compliance details, dispute resolution processes and decision-making processes among other topics.

These sections also include removal of some public comment elements. For example, Part 1503 outlines that draft environmental impact statements be made available to the public and appropriate stakeholders for comment. The proposed changes would alter this requirement, noting: “…a request for comment may be undertaken at any time that is reasonable in the process of preparing an EIS, as the publication of a draft EIS is no longer required.”

The changes also note that obtaining and addressing comments must not extend the new EIS deadlines outlined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

The proposed changes also remove various NEPA regulations from specific USDA agencies . Some agencies, such as the Agriculture Research Service, are being made exempt from NEPA regulations entirely with minor exceptions.

Examples of change topics of note from USDA’s proposed changes:

Applicability of NEPA: “NEPA does not apply to “non-Federal actions”; therefore, under the terms of the statute, NEPA does not apply to actions with no or minimal federal funding, or with no or minimal federal involvement where a federal agency cannot control the outcome of the proposal.”
Scope of significance in environmental effects: “When defining considerations for significance, USDA is using the concept of “affected environment” and a list of types of effects that include both short- and long-term effects, both beneficial and adverse effects, effects on public health and safety, economic effects, and effects on the quality of life of the American people.”
Notice-and-comment procedures are not required: “…although USDA is voluntarily providing notice and an opportunity to comment on this interim final rule, it has determined that notice-and-comment procedures prior to issuance are not required [for agency NEPA reviews].”

Pennsylvania Governor Sues USDA Over Termination of Program That Supports Food Banks, Locally Grown

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:01:38 GMT

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a news release that his administration has filed a lawsuit against the USDA for unlawfully terminating the state’s Local Food Purchase Assistance program agreement — a $13 million commitment that directly supports 189 Pennsylvania farms and supplies 14 food banks with fresh, locally grown food.

The governor announced the legal action at the Share Food Program in Philadelphia, one of the state’s largest emergency food providers.

Shapiro said his administration had tried to appeal the termination of the LFPA program by filing an administrative appeal through the USDA, reaching out to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and through meetings with USDA leadership in Washington, D.C. When the USDA ignored Pennsylvania’s request to support farmers, the administration was left with no other choice but to sue, the governor said.

“Pennsylvania farmers do the noble work of putting food on our tables — and for the last three years, they’ve been paid to provide fresh, local food to food banks across our commonwealth as part of a successful federal initiative,” Shapiro said in the release. “When the USDA abruptly terminated our agreement without cause, they ripped away a reliable source of income for 189 Pennsylvania farms — and cut off funding that would have helped provide over 4.4 million meals to families across the commonwealth. That’s not just bad policy — it’s a broken promise. A deal is a deal, and I’ve taken legal action today to ensure the federal government honors its commitment to Pennsylvania.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has administered more than $28 million in federal LFPA funding since 2022. The state said the USDA canceled the most recent three-year contract in March, which was signed December 2024.

Pennsylvania rebuked USDA’s claims that the state was “sitting on tens of millions” in unspent LFPA funds, saying the state’s program operates on a reimbursement basis, paying vendors upfront and is reimbursed by the federal government once the state incurs expenses.

“The USDA’s decision was not just unexpected — it was unlawful, and it has already caused serious harm to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in the release. “This is about real people — the farmers, producers, and rural communities who are now facing uncertainty as a result. These are hardworking men and women who put food on our tables, support local economies, and preserve our farmland for future generations. Governor Shapiro is fighting for our farmers because the stakes are far too high.”

The governor’s office said the Share Food Program distributed more than 30 million meals to individuals, families and food pantries in 2024. It also deliverd more than 83,000 senior food boxes through USDA programs, rescued nearly 6 million pounds of food and delivered more than 47,000 free home food packages to Philadelphia residents.

“Since 1986, our mission has been to feed the region’s most vulnerable families — and today, we’re serving nearly one million people each month, with more than half of them children,” said George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program. “At Share, we believe food is a human right and hunger is a solvable problem — principles we live by every day. The LFPA program helped us source nutritious food from local farms — but now, with demand at record highs, this cut will hurt real people and damage trust. At a time when demand at our food bank has risen 120% in just three years, losing LFPA hurts real people — and breaks a promise that should have been kept.”

Shapiro’s office said the state is one of the only in the country that uses LFPA funding to support in-state farmers to ensure that federal dollars stay local and support the state’s agricultural economy.

“I started providing fresh fruits and vegetables to Pennsylvania food banks several years ago — from Share in Philadelphia to food banks in Pittsburgh, Mercer County and across central PA. That work gave me a deep appreciation for what food insecurity really looks like. Whether someone is going through a tough time or has long struggled to make ends meet, the need is real — and the people who dedicate their time to helping others are truly inspiring,” said Brian Campbell, owner and founder of Brian Campbell Farms. “It’s not just about putting food on the table — it’s about providing healthy, nutritious options that can change lives. Programs like LFPA made it possible for farmers to cover the basic costs of harvesting, packaging, and delivering fresh produce to food banks. It was enough support to make it doable, and that made all the difference for the people we serve.”

When Farmers Can Expect the Next Round of American Relief Act Payments

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:51:12 GMT

USDA is currently in the trenches of issuing the nearly $31 billion in total disaster and emergency relief aid to farmers and ranchers in four stages. That money was appropriated by Congress as part of the American Relief Act, which was passed in December of 2024. In an exclusive interview with Farm Journal on Monday, USDA Deputy Undersecretary Brooke Appleton said the next round of disaster aid payments could be coming the first full week of July.

USDA began issuing the $1 billion in emergency livestock relief program payments last week, which is the latest in a series of disaster and emergency relief. Appleton told Farm Journal that instead of holding the money and issuing it all at once, USDA decided to issue the payments in four phases, as USDA wanted to get assistance out to producers as quickly as possible.

“We had ECAP (Emergency Commodity Assistance Program) , we now have the Emergency Livestock Relief Program, we’re going to have supplemental disaster relief, and then we’re going to have another emergency livestock relief program to cover the flood losses that we saw in ‘23 and ’24,” Appleton said. “So, we’re kind of doing it in stages, it should stream out all through the summer really, and so I’m hoping that that kind of can relieve some of that financial stress.”

Appleton said USDA has issued $7.7 billion out of the appropriated $10 billion in direct payments under ECAP so far, which was the first stage of payments. Sign-ups for that program began in March. USDA initially issued 85% of a producer’s projected payment, with the remaining 15% expected after sign-ups close on Aug. 15.

Just last week, USDA announced the details surrounding $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments , which is the second phase of the American Relief Act. Those payments are being dispersed now, and it covers grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events that happened in 2023 and 2024. That round of the program doesn’t require producers to sign up, as USDA is using existing information. Since the program was announced on May 29, USDA says it’s dispersed more than $641 million in payments to livestock producers who suffered grazing losses during that time.

“FSA is leveraging existing livestock forage disaster program data to streamline these payments and calculations to expedite that relief. So this was unlike most of our programs, farmers and ranchers didn’t have to go into the office to sign up,” Appleton said. “We already have the information. So those emergency relief payments were automatically issued to producers who had already had their data into their FSA office. And those payments started going out in earnest last week, so May 30.”

The next round of American Relief Act disaster aid payments is the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, which is the larger amount appropriated by Congress. Appleton told Farm Journal details surrounding those payments are being prepared now, and USDA expects to issue those payments next month. The amount of money that will go out during the next round isn’t known at this time, as a USDA official says the agency is still “working diligently to balance the needs with the available funding.”

“The larger supplemental disaster program that is part of that is making its way through the process right now at USDA and other government agencies,” Appleton said. “The timeline for that, we’re targeting to sign up farmers by the first full week in July, so maybe the week of July 7. That will be literally every crop production loss that has happened for ‘23 and ’24, and that’s just additional disaster assistance that was legislated by Congress.”

Once those payments are released, USDA’s final phase of the American Relief Act will be another emergency livestock relief program, but this covers flood losses producers saw in 2023 and 2024.

Appleton says that’s been the most difficult program to outline and detail, as USDA has never administered a disaster program for livestock that covered losses due to flooding.

“We’ve never had a disaster program for livestock that triggered on flooding, so that piece of it is going to take us a little bit longer,” she said. “And that’s something that’s another piece of this larger disaster package. It’s going to roll out later this summer, but as these programs are ready to go and ready to roll out, we’re focused on doing it as soon as we can, rather than holding them all and doing it all at once. We want to make sure as soon is the assistance is ready to go, we are getting it out and we’re getting it to the folks who need it.”

Congress earmarked $2 billion for livestock losses due to droughts, wildfires and floods. The first livestock disaster aid announced last week totaled $1 billion, which means another $1 billion should be dispersed through the livestock disaster payments that cover losses due to flooding.

USDA says it is fully committed to expediting remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act 2025. On May 7, it launched its 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant rollout timeline can be tracked.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA Says Details On $1 Billion Specialty Crop Aid Payments Expected Within Weeks

Acreage Data Drives Payment Rates

Program Aims to Offset Market Pressures

What Happens Next

Trump Admin to Roll Out Major Fertilizer Plan This Week, Accelerate U.S. Production Push

Short-Term Fertilizer Price Pain

Focus on Domestic Fertilizer Production

United States’ Energy Advantage for Nitrogen Fertilizer

Long-Term Goal: Reduce Foreign Dependence

Grocery Stores Face New USDA Nutrition Requirements to Accept SNAP

House Ag Committee Starts Farm Bill Mark Up

One Big Beautiful Bill Omits Farm Bill Titles

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Include Food for Peace Program

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Will Congress Pass a Farm Bill?

USDA to Provide $1B in Specialty Crop Farmer Assistance

Eligible Specialty Crops

No Pulled Punches: Mike Tyson, Federal Leaders Target Processed Food in New Dietary Guidelines

A Shift Toward Whole Foods

‘Food Is Medicine’

Chefs Champion Accessibility and American Agriculture

Boxing Legend’s Personal Testimony

Federal Procurement as a Market Driver

Beyond Schools: Military and Prisons

Cultural Reset

Is Produce Next? Grocers Wary of SNAP Restriction 'Gray Areas' for Value-Added Fresh Items

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

Eat More Protein

Dairy’s Seat at the Table

Eat More Meat and Poultry

Three Servings of Veggies and Two Servings of Fruit

Rollins Teases Plan to Expand Real Food Retail Accessibility

Grains and Oilseed Industry Focuses on Positives

The USDA’s 2025 Organic Survey is Coming Soon

Organic Information of the Past

USDA Launches New Round of Disaster Aid: What Producers Need to Know to Sign Up

Stage 2 Designed for “Shallow Losses” and Quality Loss

Specialty Crops Expected to Be a Major Share of Applicants

Producers MUST Enroll in Person, Fordyce Urges Them to Prepare Now

Billions Already Distributed And Billions More to Come

What Farmers Need to Know

1. You must enroll in person at your FSA county office.

No prefilled applications will be mailed.

2. Stage 2 covers 2023 through 2024 weather-related losses.

3. Specialty crops likely benefit most.

4. Prepare documents in advance.

Market Loss Payments Still Being Debated, Prices at Harvest Are a Concern

Cotton Farmers and Other Struggling Commodities Are Part of the Conversation

Borrower Limits Remain a Roadblock

USDA Leadership Knows the Stakes

How Farmers, Grocers Meet Food Banks' 'Tsunami' of Need

Pacific Northwest

Northeast

Midwest

Community Impact

25 States Sue Trump Administration Over Suspending SNAP Benefits

What Are the Odds of Congress Passing a Farm Bill 2.0 and Trade Aid Package in 2025?

USDA Extends Reorganization Comment Period to Sept. 30

Proposed Reorganization

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Rollins Names New Leaders for USDA at State Fair

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Other Awards From USDA

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California Avocado Commission Commends USDA Reorganization

Appeals Court Upholds USDA Certification

Potato Farmers, Specialty Crop Growers See Record $2.5B in USDA Funding

USDA Takes 'Bold Action' to Crack Down on Foreign-Owned Farmland, Targets China

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Foreign-Owned Farmland By the Numbers

Unintended Consequences?

States Applaud USDA’s Aggressive Plan

Public Comments Open on USDA’s NEPA Cuts

What’s behind these NEPA changes

USDA change details