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After nearly 100 days of traveling the nation and visiting directly with hundreds of farmers across America, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins released the first set of policy proposals May 19, under her newly launched Make Agriculture Great Again Initiative. These initial proposals are a comprehensive set of policy solutions aimed at improving the viability and longevity of smaller-scale family farms for generations to come. 

About 86% of all farms in the United States are small family farms. To ensure small family farmers can start and stay in business, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has outlined a toolkit of actions, including the streamlining of application processes; improving reliable access to credit, farmland, and markets; and appropriate business planning tools.

“America’s family farms help feed, fuel and clothe the world, but they also face some of the greatest challenges in getting their farms started and keeping them running. Putting Farmers First means addressing the issues farmers face head-on and fostering an economic environment that doesn’t put up roadblocks on business creation but removes them,” Rollins said. “Today’s policy agenda is tailored specifically to support small-scale farms to thrive for generations to come. President Trump knows America’s economic prosperity depends on the success of our farmers and ranchers. That is why we are working to ensure those who want to start and keep their own farms for generations to come are able to.”

The Small Family Farms Policy Agenda provides actionable solutions to a variety of challenges faced by small family farmers:

1. Ensure Simple Streamlined and Transparent Tools and Applications
2. Ensure Reliable Access to Credit
3. Ensure Working Farmland is Used to Farm
4. Ensure Small Farms Can Be Passed On to the Next Generation for Generations to Come
5. Hyperfocus USDA Programs for Farmers on Farmers
6. Labor Reform
7. Enhance Access to Risk Management and Business Planning Tools
8. Ensure Definitions of Farm Size Reflect Modern Day Realities
9. Enhance Farmer Access to Educational Resources
10. Other Small Farm Resources Available

This policy rollout builds on the Farmers First Roundtable event recently held at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., where the secretary met with and heard from more than 20 farmers and ranchers from 11 states who run smaller-scale, family-owned operations, as well as Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Board of Directors about challenges facing smaller-scale family farms across America.

“We thank Secretary Rollins for recognizing the critical role small farmers and ranchers play in America’s food supply chain. Almost 90% of farms in America are classified as small farms, and nearly all of them are family-owned. That’s why Farm Bureau has been such a strong advocate for their success,” said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

“Unfortunately, the 2022 Census of Agriculture shows 141,000 farms went out of business in a five-year period, and we’ve lost even more since the report was released. Our nation’s food security depends on farms of all sizes, but the reality is, it is getting more difficult for smaller farms to survive these tough economic times. We look forward to learning more about Secretary Rollins’ plan and working with USDA to ensure farm families don’t just endure, but thrive, so they can continue to grow the food every family in America relies on.”

Farm Bureau submitted a letter to USDA outlining policy recommendations that support small producers. Read the full letter here.