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Go to usda.gov and two recent press releases are 1 - Secretary Rollins Blocks Taxpayer Dollars for Solar Panels on Prime Farmland 2- Secretary Rollins Priorit

Go to usda.gov and two recent press releases are 1 - Secretary Rollins Blocks Taxpayer Dollars for Solar Panels on Prime Farmland 2- Secretary Rollins Prioritizes American Energy on National Forest Land Both have quotes about putting "America first" to confuse people to make them think this is better for all. We think the USDA is about getting healthy food to people, but really they're about maximizing the money for farmers and people who own the land. Terrible. [1] - https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/19/secretary-rollins-blocks-taxpayer-dollars-solar-panels-prime-farmland https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/... [2] - https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/21/secretary-rollins-prioritizes-american-energy-national-forest-lands https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/...

Loughla 1y ago
Farmers also want solar panels is the thing. It brings their costs down.
- wnevets 1y ago
  > Farmers also want solar panels is the thing. It brings their costs down. I am a little curious to know what percentage voted for this.
  - some-guy 1y ago
    Most polls hover around 75% [1] [1]: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52362/tariffs-farmers-trade-china-mexico-canada https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52362/tariffs-farmers-tr...
  - Jtsummers 1y ago
    Depending on the state, not enough to matter. Farmers are not a major voting block in most of the US anymore. Farmers are a bit over 1% of the US population. I'm trying to find better sources than listicle type things, but the best I can find is that in the states with the highest percentage of farmers, it's still only 5-6% of their state population. That can be enough to swing things, but it's not enough to be the deciding block that many think they are. A century ago things were much different.
    - Freedom2 1y ago
      Someone can be more specific and accurate with this, but in the US, population percentages don't vote. Or in other words, some votes are worth more than others. So relying entirely on % of population isn't a great measure.
      - Jtsummers 1y ago
        That's a fair point. By the numbers, about 60% of voters turned out in the last election. Historically, though, we've had lower turnouts. Let's say that nationally only 50% turned out but all farmers voted. That would make their 1+% block closer to 2-3% of the votes for an election which is more significant.
        3eb7988a1663 1y ago
        That still elides over the electoral college. A vote in Pennsylvania is worth a lot more than a vote in California or Georgia.
    - kshahkshah 1y ago
      Except the Iowa farmer has a disproportionate amount of voting power compared to say someone in NY or CA.
      - bluGill 1y ago
        They don't, they have some early power but even in iowa there are a lot of non farmers.
        mrtesthah 1y ago
        https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/11/change-the-senate-vicki-c-jackson/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/11/change-the-se...
        stockresearcher 1y ago
- jackschultz 1y ago
  I'm in Wisconsin and if I drive on a county road, I see signs near the road that say "Save our S̶o̶l̶a̶r̶ Farms". Maybe some are fine with them, but seems like lots of internal pressure to say no or unfortunate reasons.
  - yareally 1y ago
    They may feel like grassroots campaigns to save farms, but much of it is backing from large corporate interests. Doesn't mean that there aren't legit concerns, but the sponsorship makes me weary. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinformation-activists-rural-america https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinf...
- pfannkuchen 1y ago
  Presumably they are still free to purchase solar panels?
  - trenchpilgrim 1y ago
    The US already banned the import of affordable solar technology from china
    - pfannkuchen 1y ago
      Is it affordable because they are dumping though? Or is it because of the slave labor? Or is it cheap because they freely pollute the air water and land? Or maybe all of the above? I would personally love to see a full ban on imports from countries unless they are at parity with US environmental/labor/trade laws.
      - therealpygon 1y ago
        An interesting take. What happens for all the things where US laws and policy are worse (“below standard”) for many developed countries, which are plenty?
        pfannkuchen 1y ago
        My point isn’t that the US is great at everything (it’s clearly not), it’s that putting restrictions on US businesses while trading with places that don’t have the restrictions is moronic. It puts US businesses at a disadvantage and then still has the negative effect the regulations were trying to prevent in many cases (e.g. air pollution, water pollution, abuse of workers if you care about Chinese people too and don’t want to support their abuse, etc).
    - dzhiurgis 1y ago
      And how they feel about US tariffs on foreign agricultural products?
- FateOfNations 1y ago
  I don't get it… isn't up to the landowner whether they farm corn, soybeans, or solar radiation? The government may provide different incentives for each, but AFAIK, they aren't forcing a choice.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
Hilift 1y ago
Another wrinkle is funding for Secure Rural Schools under the 1908 25% fund act hasn't been renewed. Counties that have a national forest presence have a federal government offset to compensate for lost logging. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/trinity-county-urges-congress-to-renew-secure-rural-schools-funding https://krcrtv.com/news/local/trinity-county-urges-congress-...
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]

Loughla 1y ago

Farmers also want solar panels is the thing. It brings their costs down.

wnevets 1y ago
> Farmers also want solar panels is the thing. It brings their costs down. I am a little curious to know what percentage voted for this.
- some-guy 1y ago
  Most polls hover around 75% [1] [1]: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52362/tariffs-farmers-trade-china-mexico-canada https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52362/tariffs-farmers-tr...
- Jtsummers 1y ago
  Depending on the state, not enough to matter. Farmers are not a major voting block in most of the US anymore. Farmers are a bit over 1% of the US population. I'm trying to find better sources than listicle type things, but the best I can find is that in the states with the highest percentage of farmers, it's still only 5-6% of their state population. That can be enough to swing things, but it's not enough to be the deciding block that many think they are. A century ago things were much different.
  - Freedom2 1y ago
    Someone can be more specific and accurate with this, but in the US, population percentages don't vote. Or in other words, some votes are worth more than others. So relying entirely on % of population isn't a great measure.
    - Jtsummers 1y ago
      That's a fair point. By the numbers, about 60% of voters turned out in the last election. Historically, though, we've had lower turnouts. Let's say that nationally only 50% turned out but all farmers voted. That would make their 1+% block closer to 2-3% of the votes for an election which is more significant.
      - 3eb7988a1663 1y ago
        That still elides over the electoral college. A vote in Pennsylvania is worth a lot more than a vote in California or Georgia.
  - kshahkshah 1y ago
    Except the Iowa farmer has a disproportionate amount of voting power compared to say someone in NY or CA.
    - bluGill 1y ago
      They don't, they have some early power but even in iowa there are a lot of non farmers.
      - mrtesthah 1y ago
        https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/11/change-the-senate-vicki-c-jackson/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/11/change-the-se...
        stockresearcher 1y ago
jackschultz 1y ago
I'm in Wisconsin and if I drive on a county road, I see signs near the road that say "Save our S̶o̶l̶a̶r̶ Farms". Maybe some are fine with them, but seems like lots of internal pressure to say no or unfortunate reasons.
- yareally 1y ago
  They may feel like grassroots campaigns to save farms, but much of it is backing from large corporate interests. Doesn't mean that there aren't legit concerns, but the sponsorship makes me weary. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinformation-activists-rural-america https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinf...
pfannkuchen 1y ago
Presumably they are still free to purchase solar panels?
- trenchpilgrim 1y ago
  The US already banned the import of affordable solar technology from china
  - pfannkuchen 1y ago
    Is it affordable because they are dumping though? Or is it because of the slave labor? Or is it cheap because they freely pollute the air water and land? Or maybe all of the above? I would personally love to see a full ban on imports from countries unless they are at parity with US environmental/labor/trade laws.
    - therealpygon 1y ago
      An interesting take. What happens for all the things where US laws and policy are worse (“below standard”) for many developed countries, which are plenty?
      - pfannkuchen 1y ago
        My point isn’t that the US is great at everything (it’s clearly not), it’s that putting restrictions on US businesses while trading with places that don’t have the restrictions is moronic. It puts US businesses at a disadvantage and then still has the negative effect the regulations were trying to prevent in many cases (e.g. air pollution, water pollution, abuse of workers if you care about Chinese people too and don’t want to support their abuse, etc).
  - dzhiurgis 1y ago
    And how they feel about US tariffs on foreign agricultural products?
FateOfNations 1y ago
I don't get it… isn't up to the landowner whether they farm corn, soybeans, or solar radiation? The government may provide different incentives for each, but AFAIK, they aren't forcing a choice.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]

Hilift 1y ago

Another wrinkle is funding for Secure Rural Schools under the 1908 25% fund act hasn't been renewed. Counties that have a national forest presence have a federal government offset to compensate for lost logging. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/trinity-county-urges-congress-to-renew-secure-rural-schools-funding https://krcrtv.com/news/local/trinity-county-urges-congress-...

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]