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U.S. Agriculture Commissioner Brooke Rollins spoke out recently against a growing problem in the United States that threatens to cripple our farmers: agricultural lawfare.
According to reporting from The Texas Scorecard, she called out specific examples of agricultural lawfare at an event in Fort Worth—one of which was the case of the Henry Farm in New Jersey, which is in danger of being turned into low-income housing via eminent domain. Rollins has spoken out against this practice in the past.
Unfortunately for American farmers, that’s far from the only example of agricultural lawfare. Gary Joiner with the Texas Farm Bureau explained: “You’re looking at cases of eminent domain, as well as cases of overreach and interpretations of perhaps environmental regulations or local statutes.”
He says all of those things can—and have—been weaponized against farmers and ranchers, even here in Texas, which is known for its agriculture industry. “You’ve got county regulations and county efforts to impede on the ability to farm and ranch,” Joiner said. “So it’s really happening at all levels of government.”
Joiner went on to say that if we pursue the goal of shutting down agricultural lawfare, farmers and ranchers in the U.S. will be able to be successful—which he says will be key to the long-term success of the entire United States.