The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a $700 million initiative to encourage farmers to adopt more “regenerative” practices and promote the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) strategy to maintain healthier soil across the nation.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the Regenerative Pilot Program via press release.
The USDA initiative will reportedly funnel $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to support a set of new farming strategies that tackle soil erosion and improve water quality, among other “regenerative” goals.
“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. 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,” Rollins said.
The program hopes to address some longstanding complaints about bureaucratic hurdles in current USDA conservation efforts, specifically allowing farmers to bundle some of their regenerative practices – like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and nutrient management efforts – into a single application rather than multiple separate, tedious applications.
Kennedy, who could be considered MAHA’s most vocal leader, spoke on rebuilding health standards for Americans – literally from the ground up.
“In September, under President Trump’s leadership, we released the MAHA Strategy Report, which includes a full section on soil health and land stewardship…Today’s regenerative farming announcement directly advances that deliverable. If we intend to Make America Healthy Again, we must begin by restoring the health of our soil,” he said.
The announcement drew quick praise from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, another MAHA supporter who oversees the Lone Star state’s Healthy School Meals program.
“The $700 million regenerative agriculture pilot program announced today is exactly the kind of common-sense, farmer-first leadership our producers deserve. It puts conservation decisions back in the hands of those who steward the land every day, strengthens soil and water management, and cuts through the bureaucracy that has slowed innovation for far too long,” Miller said.
“MAHA is more than a slogan – it’s a promise,” Miller added.
Farmers and ranchers who want to learn more about regenerative agriculture, or even pursue a partnership with the USDA to help with regenerative farming strategies, can now apply through their local NRCS Service Center before their state’s deadlines to be considered for 2026 funding.