U.S. Department of Agriculture officials are expressing support for regenerative agriculture as part of the Trump Administration’s so-called “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
“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,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins in a news release. “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.”
Through the Regenerative Pilot Program, the USDA plans to allocate $700 million toward helping farmers implement regenerative agriculture methods in 2026.
Rob Myers is director of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture — which also provides incentive payments for farmers looking to adopt more conservation practices for producing crops or livestock. He said what makes the new federal effort different from previous farm conservation initiatives is its holistic approach.
“They're going to put more emphasis on whole farm planning, to have farmers think about how using multiple conservation practices together can be more supportive of soil health and regenerative agriculture,” he said.
Money to fund regenerative farming will be rolled out through existing federal conservation programs. $400 million of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP, is to be disbursed to help farmers implement regenerative agriculture and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program or CSP.
“My impression is that it's not new money per se, that it's just kind of prioritizing certain conservation practices within those two programs,” Myers said.
Kansas State University soil microbiologist Chuck Rice said regenerative agriculture is getting a lot of attention in both the public and private sectors. But he said farmers transitioning from conventional farming methods to regenerative ones often need guidance.
“The thing that was missing, or an opportunity, was to help farmers with the technical assistance or educational systems needed to adopt some of those practices,” Rice said.
Rice said previous government programs dedicated billions of dollars to farm conservation.
The Trump Administration cancelled or paused projects that were part of the $3 billion Biden-era Climate Smart Commodities program that had similar goals.
Farmers and ranchers can apply for incentive payments for using regenerative ag methods at their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office.
Boone County is ready to process applications for the new initiative and 25% of Missouri’s funding for EQIP and CSP will be set aside for the purpose, according to Jenny Long, acting assistant state conservationist in the Missouri NRCS office in Columbia.
“The program is designed for both beginning and advanced producers, ensuring availability for all farmers ready to take the next step in regenerative agriculture,” Long said via email.
The December announcement from the USDA also states the federal health department will invest in “research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health.”
