09/03/2026
Hmm, my friends have been saying this for years. I'm intrigued as they have some awesome plans for veterans to get started.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced that the USDA is opening approximately 5 million acres of vacant grazing allotments nationwide to expand opportunities for American ranchers. This effort is part of the broader Ranchers First Initiative, a sweeping package of actions designed to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd—which has hit historical, 75-year lows—and lower beef prices for consumers.Key Details of the Grazing InitiativesThe 5-Million-Acre Expansion: Announced as part of the USDA's Grazing Action Plan, this initiative opens up 5 million acres of vacant federal allotments. It is tied to a broader framework expanding access across the roughly 240 million acres of public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Access: As of late August 2026, the USDA has expanded the plan by opening up additional protected and conserved acres to grazing under the Conservation Reserve Program to help producers recover from severe droughts and wildfires.Cutting Red Tape: Alongside Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum, Rollins signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding to streamline the distribution of 23,000 grazing permits across 28 states, unfortunately none here in Florida 😪