For the families who rise before dawn to tend their fields and herds, the land is more than a workplace. It is a legacy passed from one generation to the next, and a promise to the ones still to come. This week, those families gained a new advocate in Washington.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced on June 10th that President Donald J. Trump has appointed John Rich as Special Envoy for American Landowners. The role places a dedicated voice at the table for the country’s farmers, ranchers, and private landowners, with a clear charge to make sure their concerns are heard and their rights are protected.
As Special Envoy, Rich will engage directly with landowners across the nation. His work will center on addressing the pressures that come from government overreach, activist campaigns, and outside interests that can threaten private property rights and the long-term health of rural communities. For many growers, those pressures are not abstract. They show up in the form of contracts, regulations, and development proposals that can change the character of land that has been in a family for generations.
One of the most pressing areas of Rich’s focus will be the wave of large-scale solar and wind development that has the potential to alter productive farmland and ranchland. Across the countryside, landowners have wrestled with how to weigh these projects against the working acres that feed their families and their neighbors. Rich is expected to work closely with USDA leadership and with stakeholders to ensure that landowners hold a strong voice in the decisions that shape their property and their towns.
Secretary Rollins framed the appointment as a recognition of the role that rural Americans play in the life of the nation. “America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners are among the greatest stewards of our nation’s resources and the backbone of our rural communities,” she said. “President Trump understands that private property rights are fundamental to the American way of life. John Rich has long been a champion for rural America, and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue fighting for the people who feed, fuel, and clothe our nation.”
Rich, for his part, described the appointment as both an honor and a responsibility. “President Trump has afforded me the great honor of serving as Special Envoy for American Landowners,” he said. “I look forward to representing and advocating for landowners’ rights and standing up for the farmers, ranchers, and rural families who work every day to provide for our country. Protecting private property rights and ensuring that landowners are not harassed, intimidated, or pressured by outside interests will be at the heart of this mission.”
For producers who have long felt that their voices struggle to carry from the back forty all the way to the nation’s capital, the creation of this position signals a renewed attention to their interests. The appointment reflects an ongoing commitment to making sure that America’s farmers, ranchers, foresters, and landowners have a federal government that supports their success rather than standing in the way of it.
At its heart, the announcement speaks to something farmers understand deeply. The ground beneath their boots is not simply soil. It is the foundation of a way of life, and the freedom to steward it well is worth defending. With a new advocate stepping into the role, rural America has another reason to believe its voice will be heard.
For the full announcement and additional details, readers can visit the USDA newsroom at www.usda.gov.