by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
August 18, 2025

U.S. Agriculture officials announced a new initiative Monday to stop subsidies for solar energy panels that take up farmland while supporting cuts in agriculture grants to Tennessee universities.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins introduced the initiative by the Trump administration after a Future Farmers of America breakfast at the State Fairgrounds in Lebanon where she said the federal government will make new grants to bolster Tennessee farming while targeting grants that don’t help farmers’ production.

Rollins criticized the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and “market distorting incentives” for solar panels, which she said are eliminating Tennessee farmland.

The secretary made the statements even though a study by the nonpartisan Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations found that solar facilities aren’t likely to be the “primary driver” of development on farmland for decades. The study also determined that land can be returned to farming once a solar facility goes out of use.

Earlier this year, the federal government made dramatic cuts to higher education grants, including eliminating more than $31 million in funding to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, which houses agricultural research and resources for Tennessee farmers and communities in 95 counties.

Rollins defended the reductions, saying “Those cuts were being made in programs that did not align with the president’s vision of putting farmers first.”

Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden of Tennessee described the reduction as a “repurposing” and said changes were made in research funding based on whether a grant “helps a farmer in the field make more money.” Projects aimed at “clean energy” or based on “racial criteria” were eliminated, he said.

In addition to stopping solar panel development on farmland, Rollins announced that nearly $89 million will go toward 13 rural development projects in 28 Tennessee counties to “promote partnerships” and infrastructure investments for rural education. The department has distributed nearly $100 million this year to more than 10,000 farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, according to Rollins.

Some farmers have said they expect prices to increase because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are forcing them to pass on higher rates to customers. Rollins said Monday the administration has signed eight new trade agreements expected to boost the nation’s economy.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article largely reports on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ policy announcements but introduces balancing context that slightly shifts the tone. While it covers her criticisms of the Biden administration and defense of Trump-era cuts, it also highlights a nonpartisan Tennessee study contradicting her claims about solar panels reducing farmland. This inclusion, along with details on higher education grant cuts and references to “racial criteria” in funding, frames the administration’s moves with a degree of skepticism. The reporting avoids overt editorializing but leans toward questioning Republican policies, giving it a mild Center-Left tilt.

SUMMARY: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced proposed changes to SNAP benefits during the Wilson County State Fair. The plan includes waivers to expand access to healthy foods and eliminate items where sugar is the main ingredient. Rollins noted that over 10% of SNAP’s $100 billion annual budget goes to sugary drinks and junk food, calling it an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Lee emphasized the goal of prioritizing nutrition. Rollins also announced nearly $90 million for rural development projects and confirmed the USDA will end funding for solar panels on productive farmland.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Gov. Bill Lee explained they have submitted two waivers to clarify what SNAP benefits can be used for.

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SUMMARY: Roger O’Connor Valenzuela, a Cuban pastor living in Singapore, is urgently seeking an emergency U.S. visa to join his family in Tennessee after his mother, Daisy Valenzuela Vives, was fatally struck by a truck in Pigeon Forge. Following devastating news from her neurosurgeon about massive intracranial bleeding, Valenzuela immediately began the complicated visa process amidst Cuban travel restrictions. He hopes to attend his mother’s funeral and support his grieving father during this difficult time. Though he plans to return to Singapore, Valenzuela emphasizes the importance of saying goodbye and appreciates the support he has received. His embassy interview is scheduled for August 18.

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