At Farmfest, Rollins acknowledges struggling farm economy while touting wins on trade, ethanol

Janelle Atyeo
Aug 4, 2026
3 hrs ago

Farmfest Day 1 (53).JPG — U.S. Sectary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks to a large crowd at Farmfest Tuesday morning, Aug. 4.
Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Brooke Rollins made her first trip to Minnesota as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture when she spoke at Farmfest Tuesday morning, Aug. 4, but she’s no stranger to Minnesota farm country.

kAm%96 %6I2D\C2:D65 #@==:?D 2?5 96C D:DE6CD DA6?E DF>>6CD G:D:E:?8 96C 8C2?5A2C6?ED’ ec_\24C6 4@C? 2?5 D@J362? 72C> ?62C r=62C {2<6[ |:??6D@E2] pD 2? 25F=E[ D96 3C@F89E 96C 7@FC 8:C=D @? C68F=2C G:D:ED]k^Am

kAm“%@ 36 96C6 H:E9 J@F 2== :D 7F== 4:C4=6[ :? E9:D A=246 H96C6 x 76== :? =@G6 H:E9 28C:4F=EFC6[” #@==:?D D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6C >@>[ w6=6? z6CH:?[ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 %6I2D w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D[ H2D :? E96 4C@H5] $A62<:?8 E@ %C:\$E2E6 }6:893@C 27E6C E96 DA6649[ z6CH:? H2D :>AC6DD65 H:E9 96C 7:CDE G:D:E E@ E96 u2C>76DE 72C> D9@H 2?5 8=25 96C 52F89E6C 4@F=5 >2<6 2 DE@A]k^Am

kAm“$96 92D DF49 2 DA64:2= =@J2=EJ E@ |:??6D@E2[” z6CH:? D2:5]k^Am

kAm#@==:?D DA@<6 @7 D6G6C2= ?6H A@=:4:6D :>A=6>6?E65 F?56C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A >62?E E@ 3@@DE 72C>6C’D =:G6=:9@@5D[ E96? 2??@F?465 2? 6IE6?565 5625=:?6 7@C E9@D6 DECF88=:?8 E@ A2J 4C@A :?DFC2?46 AC6>:F>D]k^Am

kAmu2C>6CD H:== 92G6 2? 255:E:@?2= e_ 52JD E@ A2J #:D< |2?286>6?E p86?4J :?DFC2?46 AC6>:F>D] x?DFC2?46 AC@G:56CD 42? H2:G6 :?E6C6DE 492C86D 5FC:?8 E92E A6C:@5]k^Am

kAm“w@A67F==J E92E’D 96=A7F= E@ >2?J @7 J@F[” #@==:?D D2:5]k^Am

kAm$96 2=D@ 2??@F?465 E96 C6EFC? @7 2? @AE:@?2= :?DFC2?46 AC@5F4E 7@C AC6G6?E65 A=2?E:?8 4@G6C286] %96 @AE:@? H2D E2<6? 2H2J 23@FE 2 J62C 2?5 2 92=7 28@[ D96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E D96 9@A6D :E :D 2 36EE6C @AE:@? E@ >2?286 C:D<]k^Am

People are also reading…

Beyond tradition: West River couple finds opportunities to improve land with regenerative ranching
Fertility program paying off on just 35 pounds of nitrogen
Corn crop marks phenology
Hay rake upgrade improves efficiency when hay is sparse
Injury leads to new hobby for Wayne County 4-H’er
Cattle Feeder Days to cover markets, manure and more
‘Farm by day, fence by night’
Study shows health risks higher for rural residents
Compare tillage methods at UofM’s Strip-Till Expo
Branding changes remain hot topic for Nebraska cattlemen
Red Angus mama surprises family
A smooth AI day and lessons from south of the border
Historic fields make way for 21st century
Farm families consider options for health coverage
Durum prices continue to hold in trading range

kAm#@==:?D DA6?E E96 >@C?:?8 962C:?8 7C@> 72C>6CD 5FC:?8 A2?6= 5:D4FDD:@?D @? A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 DFCG6JD 2?5 C:D:?8 :?AFE AC:46D 367@C6 255C6DD:?8 2 A24<65 65F42E:@? 3F:=5:?8 2E u2C>76DE]k^Am

kAm$96 D2:5 :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 3C:?8 D665[ 496>:42= 2?5 76CE:=:K6C AC@5F4E:@? 324< E@ &]$] D@:=[ AC2:D:?8 ?6H 2>>@?:2 A=2?ED D6E E@ @A6? :? {@F:D:2?2 2?5 x?5:2?2] p D>2==\D42=6 A=2?E 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 (6DE r6?EC2= #6D62C49 2?5 ~FEC6249 r6?E6C @FED:56 @7 |@CC:D[ |:??][ 3682? AC@5F4:?8 2>>@?:2 H:E9 H:?5 A@H6C E9:D DF>>6C]k^Am

kAms2E2 >@56C?:K2E:@? :D 2 AC:@C:EJ 7@C #@==:?D’D &$sp F?56C :ED “~?6 u2C>6C[ ~?6 u:=6” :?:E:2E:G6 E@ DEC62>=:?6 A2A6CH@C<] (9:=6 25@AE:@? @7 5:8:E2= C64@C5D 2?5 2AA=:42E:@?D 92D 366? DEC@?8[ #@==:?D D2:5 E96J H:== 2=H2JD 92G6 u2C> $6CG:46 p86?4J @77:46D 7@C E9@D6 H9@ AC676C E@ 7:== @FE A2A6C 7@C>D] $96 2??@F?465 2 =:DE6?:?8 E@FC @? 5:8:E2= 52E2 H:== 36 4@>:?8 D@@?]k^Am

kAm#@==:?D E@FE65 A@=:4:6D @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2:>65 2E 96=A:?8 72C>6CD – 7C@> FA52E6D E@ 4C@A :?DFC2?46 2?5 32D6 24C6D :? E96 ~?6 q:8 q62FE:7F= q:== A2DD65 =2DE DF>>6C E@ ?6H EC256 562=D 2?5 9:896C C6?6H23=6 7F6= 3=6?5:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED]k^Am

kAm“(6 925 H:? 27E6C H:? 27E6C H:? 7@C CFC2= p>6C:42[” D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm#@==:?D D2:5 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D D:8?65 a_ ?6H EC256 562=D :? E96 =2DE `g >@?E9D[ C6G6CD:?8 2 =24< @7 >@G6>6?E F?56C E96 AC6G:@FD 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] }6H 562=D :?4=F565 C6>@G:?8 E2C:77D @? 6E92?@= :>A@CED E@ E96 &?:E65 z:?85@>] #@==:?D D2:5 E92E H:== 3C:?8 2? 255:E:@?2= Sf__ >:==:@?[ 42==:?8 %CF>A 3:@7F6=’D >@DE G@42= 324<6C]k^Am

kAm“~FC 28 6IA@CED 2C6 3C62<:?8 C64@C5D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmtE92?@= 6IA@CED 925 2=C625J 366? C:D:?8 :? C646?E J62CD[ DAFCC65 3J E96 &z’D 8@2= E@ 5642C3@?:K6 5@>6DE:4 EC2?DA@CE] qJ a_ac[ E96 &z 925 >@G65 E@ E96 }@] b A=246 7@C &]$] 6E92?@= 6IA@CED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] vC2:?D r@F?4:=[ H9:49 H2D 25G@42E:?8 7@C C6>@G:?8 5FE:6D @? 6E92?@= 2E E96 E:>6] %92E J62C[ 6E92?@= 6IA@CE G2=F6D C624965 2 A62< @7 Sdba >:==:@?]k^Am

kAmu@C>6C |:??6D@E2 u2C> qFC62F !C6D:56?E 2?5 4FCC6?E q=F6 t2CE9 r@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?6C z6G:? !2AA D2E :? @? E96 >@C?:?8 A2?6=D] s:D4FDD:@? :?4=F565 H2JD 4C@A 72C>6CD 36?67:E 7C@> 6E92?@= 2?5 2 8C@H:?8 =:G6DE@4< :?5FDECJ]k^Am

kAm“$96 8@E E96 >6DD286 E92E 255:?8 G2=F6 :D D@ :>A@CE2?E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm!2AA D2:5 72C>6CD 2=D@ ?665 96C 96=A @? EC256 2?5 :?AFE AC:46D[ 2 3FC56? 96’D 6IA6C:6?465 7:CDE 92?5] s6DA:E6 C64@C5 J:6=5D 7C@> =2DE J62C’D 4@C? 4C@A[ 96 =@DE >@?6J H96? 724E@C:?8 :? 9:89 76CE:=:K6C 2?5 6?6C8J 4@DED]k^Am

Raised in small town South Dakota, Janelle is enjoying her time as editor of Tri-State Neighbor and Midwest Messenger while raising kids, chickens and no till vegetables in central Sioux Falls. Reach her at janelle.atyeo@lee.net.