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By John Klar, Contributing Writer, The MAHA Report
On December 10, in an historic move, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins jointly announced a $700 million pilot program to prevent soil erosion by supporting regenerative farming practices. The MAHA-inspired project, designed to improve domestic production of healthy, fresh meats and produce, has already been widely praised by regenerative and organic farming advocacy groups alike.
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Regenerative agriculture embraces farming methods that prioritize building and preserving healthy soils, avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and reducing tilling. These practices include organic farming, but not all regenerative farms are certified organic. Regenerative land husbandry also increases nutrient content in crops and livestock, nurtures biodiversity, and sequesters carbon in soils.
This win-win for food and farming is also believed to be a win-win for the HHS and the USDA. A visibly excited Secretary Rollins said the pilot put “our farmers and our ranchers first” and was part of the administration’s drive to “prioritize the health of our country.”
Secretary Rollins also referenced revisions to farm-to-school grants to streamline the application process and expand access for small farms to market infrastructure, leading to record-breaking applications; and the imminent revision of federal dietary guidelines that “will prioritize whole, healthy and nutritious foods such as whole fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and meats, and suggest[] limiting highly processed foods and those high in sugar.”
Secretary Kennedy followed with similar optimism, assuring Americans that the pilot’s regenerative policy support gives farmers “an off-ramp where they can transition to a model that emphasizes soil health and with soil health comes nutrient density.” In addition to thanking Rollins for her partnership in the initiative, Kennedy also thanked the farmers, “who are inspiring… to the farm community, to all of us who care about good health, about sustainability on the farm, about water retention, about soil retention, about the health of farmers themselves who are concerned about the health of their children from too many chemicals on the land.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), followed, emphasizing how regenerative farming “and other tools” can help his agency improve health outcomes for Americans. He said eating “tasty and nutritious foods …makes you healthier and will save taxpayers’ money because Medicare and Medicaid won’t have to pay out so much in health.”
Key figures in the farming community were equally upbeat. Speaking to The MAHA Report, farmer Rick Clark of American Regeneration [ [link removed] ], gushed, “In one word. Historic. This is exactly what the farmer needs to start making changes on their farm. Change is good. This program was well thought out. It is farmer-based and outcome-based. Victory for regeneration.”
Kelly Ryerson, Co-Executive Director of American Regeneration, called the new plan “comprehensive and clearly crafted by a team that is aware of the nuances surrounding regenerative agriculture.” She continued, “It is a program that is designed for success and supports an off ramp for farmers to exit the failing input-intensive, subsidy-driven system, and restore profitability and resilience in farming communities.”
AJ Richards, a farmer and innovator with fromthefarm.org [ [link removed] ], whose motto is “Shake the Hand That Feeds You,” expressed similar support:
“It brings real hope for the future of America’s farmers and ranchers to see an administration that genuinely cares about the long-term health and success of family agriculture and the people it feeds. Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy are exactly who we need at this moment in our history to help return our focus to what matters most: the soil and human health. In both cases, real change starts at the micro level.”
Another prominent regenerative farming organization, Farm Action, also weighed in positively. Farm Action President Angela Huffman stated in a press release [ [link removed] ]:
“Done right, this investment will help farmers lower their input costs, break free from the export-driven commodity overproduction treadmill, and move toward healthier, more resilient, and more profitable farming systems. This initiative reflects the priorities Farm Action has long championed and repeatedly urged the government to adopt.
“If the Trump administration wants this initiative to succeed, USDA must make sure the Natural Resources Conservation Service—after significant funding cuts—has enough staff to get these dollars out quickly and fairly, reaching farmers across America, not just the largest operations by default.
At the Kenendy-Rollins press conference, Farm Action’s Aubrey Bettencourt, Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), offered more encouraging news, saying her organization is in discussions with Lee Zeldin at EPA. “We’re very, very confident of his [Zeldin’s] commitment to make sure to reduce toxic exposures to the American people,” Bettencourt said.
Some leading MAHA voices had spoken out against EPA policies, but like Bettencourt were encouraged after they heard Zeldin speak and later met with him and his team.
To break the ice, Zelden attended a MAHA event on Monday evening at the Ned’s Club in Washington. Addressing a room filled with MAHA supporters, Zeldin delivered an impassioned speech expressing his commitment to combat various chemical pollutants. He praised Secretary Kennedy’s efforts and related how he has learned from MAHA to improve his own eating habits. He also told the gathering about his background: he was a Republican who signed the PFAS Action Act [ [link removed] ]; he remains committed to opposing PFAS’, also known as ‘forever chemicals.’ “We believe at the EPA under President Trump that we should be adopting a polluter pays model for cleaning up PFAS,” he said.
In addition to the EPA, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has signaled support for environmental improvements incorporating regenerative agriculture. Richard Kingan, SBA’s Director of Rural Affairs, called the Regenerative Pilot Program, “an initiative that reflects a forward-thinking commitment to healthier communities and a resilient food supply.” Kingan continued, “Family farmers are the original small business owners - and by cutting red tape for them, this Administration is making it easier to continue producing nutritious and affordable foods that local communities rely on.”
The MAHA movement needs multi-agency alliances to overcome the systemic problems plaguing Americans’ food supply. For everyone who cares about making America healthy again, the announcement earlier this week by the USDA and HHS, to support regenerative farmers through a $700 million pilot program, is an important first step in the right direction. And support from the SBA and the EPA is a welcome second.
Key takeaways:
– The USDA and HHS announced a substantial investment supporting regenerative agriculture to rebuild soils, protect waterways, and increase U.S. domestic production of healthy, fresh foods and deliver on the promises of the MAHA movement.
– The EPA and SBA have indicated additional regulatory and resource commitments toward these same goals. Organic and regenerative farming groups praised this policy initiative.
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