Let’s jump right into the latest from the Department of Agriculture. The most significant headline this week is the rollout of the USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan, unveiled by Secretary Brooke Rollins alongside top defense and homeland security officials, members of Congress, and several governors. The plan is designed to safeguard American agriculture from foreign threats, reflecting growing concerns over food security and resilience in a fast-changing global landscape. This initiative is being framed as a bold step to protect farmers, food supply chains, and rural communities from disruptions that could affect everyone, from producers to consumers.

On the policy front, the USDA is making waves with major environmental regulatory changes. Secretary Rollins recently announced that the agency is streamlining National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, regulations by rescinding seven agency-specific rules and creating a single department-wide process. According to USDA, this means a 66% reduction in regulations, aiming to cut unnecessary red tape and speed up critical infrastructure and energy projects that have been stalled for years. Rollins emphasized that these reforms will allow the department to concentrate resources on public needs while still honoring its land stewardship legacy. The move is already sparking debate among environmental advocates, but supporters say it will help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities by reducing delays and costs.

Coming to leadership, Secretary Rollins is also making her mark with new presidential appointments to the USDA. These changes aim to bring fresh perspective and expertise to a department facing both domestic and international challenges. Meanwhile, as reported by the USDA, there’s a new historic agreement—the Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Forest Service and Montana’s Governor Greg Gianforte, setting up a collaborative framework for managing forest resources.

Budget and program updates are rolling out too. The July 2025 USDA lending rates for agricultural producers are now available, with direct farm operating loans at 5% and farm ownership loans at 5.875%, offering crucial support to family farms and rural businesses. The USDA is also moving ahead with updated school nutrition standards, set to gradually take effect from next year, including new limits on added sugars in breakfast cereals, yogurt, and flavored milk.

The June 30th USDA acreage report revealed that corn acreage is down 7% from last year, to 95.2 million acres—still the third largest since 1944—with corn stocks also down by 7%. These shifts in supply could ripple through grocery prices and global markets, affecting everyone from American families to international trading partners.

Looking ahead, listeners should watch for continued rollout of the National Farm Security Action Plan and ongoing updates to environmental and nutrition policies. For more information or to get involved, visit the USDA website or reach out to local USDA service centers. Your voice matters—especially as these policies shape the future of food and farming.

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