SALEM, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new $700 million program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality and boost long-term productivity.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins jointly announced the Regenerative Pilot Program on Dec. 10, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection.
Administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, this new program will deliver a “streamlined, outcome-based conservation mode,” according to the USDA.
The USDA is dedicating $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to fund the first year of regenerative agriculture projects. 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 for fiscal year 2026 funding. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process.
The initiative also highlights USDA’s commitment to putting Farmers First and advancing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda by building a healthier, more resilient food system, Rollins said in a statement.
“If we intend to Make America Healthy Again, we must begin by restoring the health of our soil,” Kennedy said in a statement.
Background
The pilot program follows a tumultuous year at USDA, marked by major staffing losses and a government-wide freeze on all federal loans and grants as the Trump administration reviewed programs enacted by the previous administration. Although some funding was gradually restored, many initiatives remained in limbo.
Among them was the Climate-Smart Commodities program, which sought to incentivize farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through agricultural and forestry practices while building markets for sustainable products. Despite assurances that agriculture programs would not be affected by the freeze, the program was ultimately done away with altogether.
For months, USDA offered little clarity on when the previously promised funding would be distributed. During the Biden administration, the department initially allocated $1 billion to launch the Climate-Smart Commodities program, but overwhelming interest and strong proposals prompted the agency to ultimately invest nearly $3 billion across 70 projects in the first funding round in May 2022. A second round followed that December.
However, the program mostly benefited special interests in service of the “Green New Scam,” as Rollins called it. According to the department’s review, administrative costs cannibalized an outsized share of funding, and in some instances, less than half of the money actually reached the farmers it was intended for. The Climate-Smart program was canceled in April and existing contracts were honored through the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative, as long as they aligned with new criteria laid out by the Trump administration.
According to the USDA, the new 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.
About the new program
The new program is designed for both beginning and advanced producers, ensuring availability for all farmers ready to take the next step in regenerative agriculture, according to the USDA.
To guide the program’s development, the NRCS is establishing the Chief’s Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Council. The council will meet quarterly, with rotating participants, to advise the Chief of NRCS, review implementation progress and help guide data and reporting improvements.
The USDA is also seeking companies interested in partnering with the NRCS to fund conservation practices on farms. Interested companies should email regenerative@usda.gov.
