2+ mon, 2+ week ago (450+ words) The funding injection helps increase access to non-processed foods free from chemicals and helps children learn more about farming and agriculture. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning on providing an additional $18 million in grants to schools who want to participate in the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, nearly 20% of the entire funding allotted over the 12-year life of the program. Aligning with the Make America Healthy Again's (MAHA) efforts to move away from processed foods, the program funds efforts such as school gardens, farm field trips, and local food sourcing to enhance child nutrition and bolster community food networks. The program also incorporates education in food safety, summer programs, and farm-to-school initiatives in tribal communities. The USDA's Wednesday announcement confirms that the 2026 investment represents the "largest total amount" the department has offered in a single…...

3+ day, 21+ hour ago (410+ words) A new law introduced by a California congressman would raise the minimum legal age of child workers in agriculture from 12 to 17. The bill would update the original 1938 law regulating farmworkers and children in farm jobs. U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., introduced House Resolution 6066, or the CARE Act, on the floor of the U.S. House on Nov. 17. The bill would raise the minimum age of agricultural workers nationwide from 12 to 17 for most agricultural jobs and to 16 for jobs in mining, manufacturing and similar industries. According to The CARE Act, which stands for the Children's Act for Responsible Employment, children are allowed to work in agricultural jobs at much younger ages than virtually any other job in any other line of work. The primary aim of the bill is to raise wages for these children and institute new regulations regarding work hours. Agricultural jobs…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago (205+ words) The new waivers will go into effect next year and impact residents in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Rollins has already approved waivers for Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday announced she has approved waivers in six new state waivers to ban Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries from using the program to purchase junk food like soda and candy. The waivers come as the Trump administration prioritizes "Making America Healthy Again" by combating the obesity and chronic health crisis in the country. SNAP benefits are intended to help low-income residents cover the costs of groceries but have partly been used in the past on non-healthy items that experts believe have contributed to the rise in obesity and chronic diseases. The new waivers will go into effect next year and…...

8+ mon, 2+ week ago (224+ words) Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday the price of eggs has decreased across the U.S. as a result of the Trump administration's efforts over roughly the past two weeks." "The average cost of a dozen eggs has now gone down $1.85 since we announced our plan about a week and a half ago on February 26," Rollins said in a video posted by the official rapid response X account for the White House. However, she did warn that egg prices would increase around Easter. "So listen, we're going into Easter season," Rollins said, according to the Newsweek outlet. "This is always the highest price for eggs. We expect it to perhaps inch back up, but a good piece of news since we released our plan about a week and a half ago." Last month, Rollins unveiled the Trump administration's plan to lower the…...

9+ mon, 4+ day ago (204+ words) She further promised to deregulate the industry, where possible, and to consider importing eggs in the short-term. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Wednesday unveiled the administration's plan to lower the cost of eggs in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. "This five-point strategy won't erase the problem overnight, but we're confident that it will restore stability to the egg market over the next three to six months," she said. "This approach will also ensure stability over the next four years and beyond." The household commodity has witnessed a surge in prices over the past several months amid an avian flu surge and partially due to inflation. President Donald Trump campaigned extensively on lowering costs and the administration has faced polling suggesting that a failure to act on the issue could undercut his currently positive approval ratings. Rollins insisted that the price…...

7+ mon, 5+ day ago (231+ words) The guidance mandates states to collect more documents to prove the identity of those applying for SNAP and to crack down on individuals using fake social security numbers for benefits. The Agriculture Department is taking steps to prevent illegal migrants from receiving federal food-assistance benefits. "President Trump has made it clear that American taxpayers will no longer subsidize illegal aliens," agency Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday in a statement." The agency runs the federal food assistance program officially titled the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and commonly referred to as "food stamps."" John Walk, the agency's acting deputy under-secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, has issued guidance to federal agencies and has asked them to increase verification processes when checking the immigration status of SNAP program applicants." Illegal migrants generally do not qualify for food stamps, but there are some…...

8+ mon, 3+ week ago (199+ words) The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on Wednesday ordered the Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate all of its nearly 6,000 probationary employees, who were fired by the Trump administration last month. The order comes as the new Trump administration attempts to restructure the federal government, including by drastically reducing its workforce. The administration previously advised departments to fire probationary employees, but the direction has faced legal challenges. The new order will allow those Department of Agriculture employees to resume their work for 45 days, The Hill reported. The board's decision agrees with the Office of Special Counsel, who claimed the employees were not fired for poor performance but for restructuring purposes. The board also agreed with Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger last week in reinstating employees from six different agencies. "Agencies are best positioned to determine the employees impacted by these mass…...