USDA Launches $700M Push to Make America’s Food Nutritious Again

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a sweeping new pilot program aimed at helping farmers adopt regenerative practices that improve soil health, strengthen water quality, and increase the nutritional value of American food. The $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program, unveiled by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), represents one of the largest federal pushes yet toward outcome-based, soil-centered agriculture.

The program is part of the broader Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy launched earlier this year under President Trump, which links public health outcomes directly to farming practices and food quality.

“A Whole-Farm Approach to Restoring America’s Natural Strength”

Secretary Rollins emphasized that the pilot marks a shift away from fragmented conservation initiatives and toward comprehensive, whole-farm planning.

“We are committed to restoring America’s natural strength by empowering producers with simple outcome-based tools,” Rollins said. “Producers at every stage, from beginners just starting with cover crops to advanced operators with years of conservation experience, will find a pathway through this pilot.”

Rather than creating a new bureaucracy, USDA will fund the pilot through existing programs and administer it through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Farmers adopting regenerative practices will receive individualized outcomes reports measuring improvements on their own land.

Rollins said these reports will credit measurable gains directly back to farmers:

“This initiative puts American farmers first as part of the solution to make America healthy again.”

Kennedy: “An Off-Ramp From Chemical Dependency”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. framed the initiative as a voluntary transition away from chemical-intensive agriculture.

The goal, he said, is to provide farmers “an off-ramp to transition away from chemical fertilizer inputs, to a model that emphasizes soil health, and with soil health comes nutrient density.”

This aligns with the MAHA strategy released in September, which argued that improving national health outcomes requires improving the nutrient profile of the food supply itself, beginning at the soil level.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will support the effort with new research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as national messaging campaigns to educate consumers.

Dr. Oz: “We Cannot Be a Wealthy Nation Without Being a Healthy Nation”

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz praised the program as an important step toward improving both food quality and national well-being.

“We cannot truly be a wealthy nation if we are not also a healthy nation,” Oz said. “Access to wholesome, nutritious, and affordable foods is a key tenet of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.”

Oz credited both Rollins and Kennedy for linking federal agriculture and health policy in an unprecedented way.

Rollins added that the program reflects President Trump’s directive to coordinate health-first strategies across federal agencies.

How the Regenerative Pilot Program Works

According to USDA, the new pilot simplifies the application process by allowing farmers to bundle multiple regenerative practices—such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, rotational grazing, and integrated livestock systems—into one unified submission.

For the first year of the pilot (FY2026):

• $400 million will come from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

• $300 million will come from the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Farmers and ranchers can now apply through a single regenerative application at their local NRCS Service Center, ahead of their state’s ranking deadlines for FY2026 funding consideration.

USDA says the streamlined model will provide “operator flexibility,” reduce administrative burdens, and accelerate adoption on farms of all sizes.

Farm Community Reacts: Supportive, but Watching for Details

Early reactions from farm groups have been largely positive. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall welcomed the program while noting that many farmers have been implementing regenerative practices for years.

“We value USDA’s acknowledgement that farmers have long practiced regenerative agriculture on their farms,” Duvall said. “Building on these efforts by leveraging existing voluntary and incentive-based programs sounds like smart government to me, especially when farmers remain in the driver’s seat.”

Other agricultural commentators echoed the sentiment but cautioned that the long-term impact will depend on how the program measures outcomes, rewards improvements, and maintains voluntary participation.

A Health-First Agriculture Policy Begins to Take Shape

The Regenerative Pilot Program marks the clearest attempt yet by the current administration to merge agricultural, environmental, and public health goals. By tying soil health directly to national nutrition and using existing federal conservation tools to accelerate adoption, USDA is effectively treating farms as the foundation of national well-being.

With hundreds of millions in first-year funding and an emphasis on measurable results, the pilot may represent a turning point in how U.S. agriculture is incentivized.

Farmers interested in participating can apply now through their local NRCS Service Center.