USDA and SBA Partner to Combat Regulatory Challenges for Farmers
Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, recently unveiled a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Small Business Administration (SBA), aiming to address what they see as excessive government intervention in the agricultural sector.
In a joint announcement with SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Rollins emphasized that various “radical environmentalist” organizations and government entities have been pressuring farmers and ranchers across the country. As a result, many have faced hefty fines, lost valuable land, or even been forced to sell properties that their families have owned for generations.
The USDA stated, “Radical environmental policies have done some harm to American farmers, and Secretary Rollins is leading the fight to end environmental legislation,” in a press release issued on Thursday.
This MOU, which formalizes the partnership between the USDA and SBA, includes four significant components:
- A joint plan for resolving grievances where both parties will look into litigation complaints filed via the USDA Lawfare Portal.
- A cooperative data analysis to understand and address recurring issues across agencies.
- Collaboration across government to protect producers and small to medium-sized enterprises.
- A defined process for addressing grievances in rural and agricultural sectors.
“We partner to end tyrannical government overreach by protecting producers, ranchers, and small businesses from weaponized regulations,” Rollins noted in a tweet following the signing of the new MOU.
A case that illustrates these challenges involves Charles and Heather Maud, fifth-generation ranchers from South Dakota. They had farmed their land for over a century until the Biden administration, pushed by left-leaning environmental groups, took control.
The couple faced charges of felony theft of government property linked to a fence disagreement, which carried potential prison sentences and hefty fines. The legal requirements also mandated that they engage a separate attorney, restricting their ability to communicate about the case.
Though these charges stirred considerable national attention among agricultural advocates, they were dropped under the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice.
“They basically went bankrupt due to legal fees,” Rollins remarked. “At some point, government has become too big and too weaponized… The producers and ranchers who feed this country should never stand alone against the full power of government. This partnership with the SBA creates a clear path to relief, ensures fairness in enforcement, and shows the U.S. government is with, not against, the hard-working Americans who support our country.”
Loeffler also expressed concerns, stating, “Farmers and ranchers have some of the toughest and most essential jobs in America, but they face an increasing burden of costly federal regulations that are crushing generational businesses that lack the time, money, and legal resources to fight back.” She added, “With our MOU, SBA and USDA are now offering U.S. producers the means to report legal issues directly, along with new tools for lasting regulatory reform.”
Rollins highlighted that there’s still much work to do. Since launching the USDA’s Lawfare Portal last April, more than 600 applications from farmers and ranchers in 47 states have been received. “We review every case,” she noted, emphasizing the commitment to addressing the concerns of those who feel they’ve been unfairly targeted.
