Rollins signs 6 state SNAP waiver requests, announces regenerative ag program

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today announced that she has signed requests from six more states for waivers from the rules of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so that the states can restrict certain purchases.At a news conference in her office, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz standing at her side, Rollins announced that she had signed requests by Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee to amend the statutory definition of “food for purchase” under SNAP beginning in 2026.

With the six states announced today, the total number of states receiving approval for waivers is 18.

“President Trump has made it clear: We are restoring SNAP to its true purpose – nutrition. Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long,” Rollins said. “America’s governors are answering that call with courage and innovation, offering solutions that honor the generosity of the taxpayer while helping families live longer, healthier lives. With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly processed foods, and moving one step closer to the president’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”

“Thank you to the 18 governors who are leading the charge on SNAP reform to restore the health of Americans — especially our kids. Their courageous leadership is exactly what we need to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy said “We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create.”

“This administration is taking a whole-of-government approach in our battle against obesity and chronic disease. By partnering with states on meaningful initiatives, such as today’s SNAP waivers, we answer President Trump’s call to Make America Health Again,” Oz said. He also noted that states making applications to the Rural Health Transformation Fund will receive extra points if they have applied for waivers to the SNAP program.

At the same event, Rollins announced the Regenerative Pilot Program that will allow farmers who sign up for the Environmental Quality Initiatives program or the Conservation Stewardship Program to sign up for other conservation programs in the same application.

In fiscal year 2026, the Regenerative Pilot Program will focus on whole-farm planning that addresses every major resource concern — soil, water, and natural vitality — under a single conservation framework, USDA said in a news release. USDA is dedicating $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to fund this first year of regenerative agriculture projects, Aubrey Bettencourt, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), said.

Rollins and Kennedy said the Regenerative Pilot Program will fulfill the Trump administration’s commitment in the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy released in September. The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection, USDA said in a news release.

“Protecting and improving the health of our soil is critical not only for the future viability of farmland, but to the future success of American farmers. In order to continue to be the most productive and efficient growers in the world, we must protect our topsoil from unnecessary erosion and improve soil health and land stewardship. Today’s announcement encourages these priorities while supporting farmers who choose to transition to regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Pilot Program also puts Farmers First and reduces barriers to entry for conservation programs,” Rollins said. “This is another initiative driven by President Trump’s mission to Make America Healthy Again. Alongside Secretary Kennedy, we have made great strides to ensure the safe, nutritious, and affordable food our great farmers produce make it to dinner tables across this great country.”

“In September, under President Trump’s leadership, we released the MAHA Strategy Report, which includes a full section on soil health and land stewardship,” said Kennedy. “Today’s regenerative farming announcement directly advances that deliverable. If we intend to Make America Healthy Again, we must begin by restoring the health of our soil.”

“We cannot truly be a wealthy nation if we are not also a healthy nation. Access to wholesome, nutritious, and affordable foods is a key tenet of the Make America Healthy Again agenda, which President Trump has directed this administration to execute across all government agencies,” Oz added.

USDA said that current conservation programs “have become overly burdensome and farmers are bogged down with red tape whenever they try to adopt soil health and regenerative agriculture practices. Even with the improved soil health since the creation of NRCS, USDA data shows that farmers recently reported that 25% of acres had water-driven erosion concerns and 16% of acres had wind-driven erosion concerns. The Regenerative Pilot Program directly addresses these challenges by cutting administrative burdens for producers, expanding access to new and beginning farmers, and boosting yields and long-term soil resilience across operations.”

To keep the Regenerative Pilot Program “grounded in practical, producer-led solutions,” NRCS is establishing the Chief’s Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Council, USDA said. The council will meet quarterly, with rotating participants, to advise NRCS, review implementation progress, and help guide data and reporting improvements. Its recommendations will shape future USDA conservation delivery and strengthen coordination between the public and private sectors, USDA said.

USDA added that companies interested in partnering with USDA NRCS in the Regenerative Pilot Program can email regenerative@usda.gov for information.

Farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local NRCS Service Center by their state’s ranking dates for consideration in FY2026 funding. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said, “The $700 million regenerative agriculture pilot program announced today is exactly the kind of common-sense, farmer-first leadership our producers deserve. It puts conservation decisions back in the hands of those who steward the land every day, strengthens soil and water management, and cuts through the bureaucracy that has slowed innovation for far too long. Most importantly, expanding regenerative agriculture will help small-scale, sustainable operations grow more organic foods and supply the nutritious products our schools and communities need nationwide.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “We value USDA’s acknowledgement that farmers have long practiced regenerative agriculture on their farms, both through federal conservation programs and on their own. Building on these efforts by leveraging existing voluntary and incentive-based programs to advance additional regenerative goals sounds like smart government to me, especially when farmers remain in the driver’s seat.

“We are still digging into the details of the new initiative and look forward to learning more about how it will be administered to ensure it’s effective and workable for farmers,” Duvall added.

Rebecca Bartels, executive director of Invest in Our Land (IIOL), a nonprofit conservation group, said, “We welcome USDA’s launch of the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative, which recognizes the key role regenerative conservation practices play not only as a foundational pillar of national health, but as indispensable tools producers rely on to stay resilient, competitive, and productive in the face of economic uncertainty and extreme weather. These voluntary, science-based tools — delivered through trusted NRCS programs — are not only proven and productive, but in extremely high demand across the country. In fact, most applications from producers to utilize these programs still go unfunded due to overwhelming interest. For this initiative to succeed and to ensure every farmer who wants to steward their land has the support to do so, we must fully fund and staff the conservation programs that make this work possible. We stand ready to work with USDA to meet this moment and deliver for American agriculture.”

Anne Schechinger, the Environmental Working Group’s Midwest director, said, “Prioritizing regenerative agriculture practices like cover crops and encouraging farmers to develop whole farm plans, as announced today, are important steps in the right direction to improving farm resilience.

“We hope the administration will provide more funding to meet the growing backlog of farmer demand for the most effective conservation practices. The administration should also restore funding for the USDA experts needed to help farmers develop whole farm and regenerative agriculture conservation plans and enroll in this new initiative.”

In an analysis, DTN/The Progressive Farmer noted, “It should be highlighted that the Trump administration has pressed to reduce NRCS’ staffing and Conservation Technical Assistance funding this past year. Through elimination of probationary staff and early retirement buyouts, USDA cut nearly 2,400 NRCS staff this year, roughly a 20% decline in staff. The department’s proposed budget for FY 2026 also called for cutting another 1,200 positions and dramatically cutting CTA funding. Congressional appropriators, however, rejected those proposed cuts to the department’s budget.”

–The Hagstrom Report