RFA Ethanol Podcast

Rollins Gets Airtime for Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has taken a much more visible role in the new Trump Administration than previous agriculture secretaries, appearing three times this month already on Fox News, most recently this past Sunday. In a wide-ranging interview with Shannon Bream, Rollins talked about a number of issues, from tariffs and trade to the price of eggs, and spent …

Audio, Ethanol, Media, USDA

Ag Secretary Visits Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited Iowa Monday, starting the day at an ethanol plant where she was joined by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Rollins also toured a hog farm, and met with soybean producers and agriculture leaders from across Iowa, before …

Audio, Ethanol, USDA

USDA Farm Production and Conservation Leaders Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

Key presidential appointments to the USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area were announced today. Brooke Shupe Appleton is already serving as the Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Previously, she served as Vice President of Public Policy for the National Corn Growers Association. She spoke in place of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Tuesday during National …

Ag Day, Ag Groups, Agri-Pulse, Audio, USDA

National Agriculture Day at USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

It is officially National Agriculture Day in Washington D.C. and leaders across the industry are gathered to celebrate this morning at the USDA. Deputy Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Brooke Appleton greeted attendees at the department Tuesday morning with the news that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins would be making a big announcement. “Secretary Rollins will be announcing that …

Ag Day, Audio, USDA

Sec. Rollins Rocks #Classic25 Trade Show Stage

Cindy Zimmerman

New U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins received a standing ovation from thousands of farmers across the country Sunday as she made an appearance at the Commodity Classic in Denver on the Trade Show Main Stage. Rollins brought a message from President Trump. “He wants all of you to know that he hears you. He knows that times have been …

Audio, Commodity Classic, USDA

Sec. Rollins Meets Press at #Classic25

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins met with about 50 members of the farm press just before an appearance at the 2025 Commodity Classic in Denver Sunday afternoon. Rollins has had a full schedule since being confirmed two weeks ago, appearing at the National Farm Machinery Show and meeting with farmers around the country, so her visit to Classic was …

Audio, Commodity Classic, USDA

Secretary Rollins Goes to Work at USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

After being confirmed by the Senate yesterday, Brooke Rollins was immediately sworn in as the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a private ceremony today at the Supreme Court building. “It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the nation’s thirty-third Secretary of Agriculture — and a privilege …

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, USDA

Brooke Rollins Confirmed as Agriculture Secretary

Cindy Zimmerman

Brooke Rollins of Texas was confirmed as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture Thursday by a vote of 72-28. Rollins served in Trump’s previous administration as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council and oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. She since co-founded and served as president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute. She has …

Ag Groups, politics, USDA

USDA Nominee Faces Senate Ag Committee

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Agriculture Committee hosted the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture on Thursday. Brooke Rollins is the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute and worked in the previous Trump administration in the White House Office of American Innovation and United States Domestic Policy Council. Prior to that, she was the president …

Audio, USDA

Farewell to USDA Secretary Vilsack

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack leaves a job this week that he has held for 12 of the past 16 years, and as he goes, he says it has been both an honor and a privilege to serve. “Only one other person in the history of the country has had this job longer than I have and only five other …

Audio, USDA, Video