If you’re wondering who is the US secretary of agriculture, the name you’re looking for is Brooke Rollins.
She's been at the helm of the USDA since February 2025. Honestly, most people don't even think about the Department of Agriculture until their grocery bill hits a certain number or there's a weird shortage of eggs at the local mart. But Rollins? She’s currently sitting on one of the most powerful—and surprisingly controversial—seats in the cabinet.
Why Brooke Rollins is the One in Charge
Brooke Rollins was sworn in as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture on February 13, 2025. She won her Senate confirmation with a 72-to-28 vote. That’s a pretty solid margin, especially in today’s political climate where everyone seems to disagree on just about everything. She replaced Tom Vilsack, who had basically become the "forever secretary" after serving two different stints under two different presidents.
Rollins isn't just some career bureaucrat. She’s a Texan through and through, hailing from Glen Rose. Before she was managing the nation's food supply, she was the head of the America First Policy Institute. She also did a major stint in the White House as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council.
She's also a lawyer. And a former Texas A&M student body president (the first woman to do it, actually). You’ve gotta have some serious grit to run that school’s student body, and she’s brought that same energy to the USDA.
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What is the US Secretary of Agriculture actually doing right now?
It's 2026. The world looks a bit different than it did a few years ago. If you think the USDA just hands out farm subsidies, you're missing about 90% of the picture.
Rollins has been incredibly busy lately. Just this month, in January 2026, she’s been all over the news pushing the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030. This isn't just a boring pamphlet. It’s basically a massive pivot in how the government thinks about food. The mantra she’s shouting from the rooftops? "Eat real food."
She's working closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over at HHS. It’s an interesting duo. They are trying to move the American diet away from ultra-processed junk and back toward whole proteins, full-fat dairy, and fresh produce. It sounds simple, but it’s actually a huge deal for the industry.
The "Bridge Payments" and the 2026 Farm Crisis
Farmers have had a rough go of it lately. Between the bird flu (H5N1) messing up poultry stocks and the rising cost of fertilizer, things have been tense.
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Rollins recently showed up at the Pennsylvania Farm Show—just a few days ago, actually—to tell farmers to hang in there. She announced about $12 billion in "bridge payments" that should start hitting bank accounts in February 2026. Basically, it’s a financial band-aid to keep family farms afloat while the administration tries to negotiate new trade deals.
- Focus on Beef: She's been cutting "red tape" for ranchers, trying to get more local beef into school lunches.
- The SNAP Mandate: Here’s something that might affect you directly: Rollins is pushing a plan to force SNAP (food stamp) retailers to stock more nutrient-dense foods. If a store wants to accept SNAP, they’re going to have to offer way more healthy options than they used to.
- High-Tech Ag: She’s also obsessed with "precision nutrition" and mechanization. Essentially, using robots and data to make farming cheaper and more efficient so that, hopefully, the price of a gallon of milk stops climbing.
Why does this position matter to you?
You might think, "I don't live on a farm, why do I care who the US Secretary of Agriculture is?"
Well, do you eat?
The Secretary of Agriculture oversees a budget of around $150 billion a year. They control everything from the National Forest Service to the school lunch program that feeds millions of kids every day. When the Secretary decides to change the "pyramid" or the "plate," it changes what is grown in Iowa, what is sold in California, and what ends up in your pantry.
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There’s also the trade aspect. Rollins has been talking a lot about "opening up markets." When the US enters a trade war or signs a new agreement, the Secretary of Agriculture is the one in the room making sure American corn and soy actually have somewhere to go. If they fail, the farmers go bust. If they succeed, the economy gets a nice little boost.
Practical Steps: How to Keep Up
If you're someone who cares about where your food comes from or how your tax dollars are being spent in rural America, you shouldn't just ignore the USDA.
- Check RealFood.gov: This is the new portal Rollins launched. It’s supposed to have shopping lists and menus based on the new guidelines. It’s actually kinda helpful if you’re trying to cut back on processed stuff.
- Watch the Farm Bill: There’s always drama around the Farm Bill. It’s the massive piece of legislation that dictates almost everything the USDA does.
- Follow the Data: If you’re an investor or just a nerd about prices, keep an eye on the USDA's "World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates" (WASDE) reports. They are the gold standard for knowing if prices are about to spike or drop.
Brooke Rollins is likely going to be in this role for the foreseeable future. Whether you love the "America First" approach or you’re skeptical of the new dietary shifts, she is undeniably the one pulling the levers on the American food machine right now.
To stay truly informed, you can monitor the official USDA press room or follow the Secretary's updates directly on social media under the handle @SecRollins. This ensures you're getting the policy changes directly from the source rather than through a filtered lens.