Agriculture Secretary Announces New Initiative to Support Farmers

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke at a Future Farmers of America event in Tennessee, announcing a new initiative to stop subsidies for solar energy panels that take up farmland. The initiative, introduced by the Trump administration, aims to provide new grants to bolster Tennessee farming while targeting grants that don't help farmers' production. Rollins criticized the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, which she said is eliminating Tennessee farmland.

Key Takeaways:

• The new initiative, launched by the Trump administration, aims to stop subsidies for solar energy panels that take up farmland and provide new grants to support Tennessee farming.
• The initiative targets grants that don't help farmers' production, such as those based on "clean energy" or "racial criteria".
• The Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act has been criticized by Rollins for "market distorting incentives" that are eliminating Tennessee farmland.
• A study by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations found that solar facilities are unlikely to be the "primary driver" of development on farmland for decades.
• The study also determined that land can be returned to farming once a solar facility goes out of use.
• The federal government has made dramatic cuts to higher education grants, including eliminating more than $31 million in funding to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
• The reduction in funding was defended by Rollins, who said it was made in programs that did not align with the president's vision of putting farmers first.
• Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden described the reduction as a "repurposing" and said changes were made in research funding based on whether a grant "helps a farmer in the field make more money".
• The department has distributed nearly $100 million this year to more than 10,000 farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program.
• The administration has signed eight new trade agreements expected to boost the nation's economy.
• Tennessee farmers have said they expect prices to increase due to President Donald Trump's tariffs, which are forcing them to pass on higher rates to customers.

Statistics:

• $89 million will go toward 13 rural development projects in 28 Tennessee counties to "promote partnerships" and infrastructure investments for rural education.
• Nearly $100 million has been distributed this year to more than 10,000 farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program.
• More than $31 million in funding has been eliminated from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
• Eight new trade agreements have been signed by the administration expected to boost the nation's economy.

Sources:

• Tennessee Lookout (John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Photographic by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout 2025
• https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tacir/2023publications/2023_Solar.pdf
• https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Brooke-L.-Rollins011-2048x1366-1.jpg
• Nebraska Examiner
• Tennessee Lookout and the Nebraska Examiner are part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.