Congressman Taylor, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Release Joint Op-Ed on Protecting America’s Farmland and Food Security

September 3, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) and United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins published a joint op-ed this morning in the Cincinnati Enquirer emphasizing that the United States must not sacrifice food security in the pursuit of energy production. With 83 percent of present-day utility-scale solar installations located on farmland, Taylor and Rollins argue that protecting prime farmland from taxpayer-subsidized solar development is critical to safeguarding America’s food supply and strengthening national security. Read the full op ed here or excerpts below: “Under the Biden administration, billions of dollars in federal subsidies and "green" energy tax credits pushed large-scale solar developments onto farmland, often with panels imported from China. As a result, solar construction has more than doubled since 2020. Farmers were put in the impossible position of competing against Washington-backed, foreign-supported energy companies.” … “We shouldn’t be subsidizing solar projects on prime farmland, that land is too valuable for producing the food and fuel our nation depends on.” … “Last summer, USDA announced that it will no longer fund solar panels on productive farmland and will ban the use of panels manufactured by foreign adversaries in USDA-supported projects. This is a needed course correction and a win for our rural communities, a win for our farmers, and a win for America.” … “Farmers are the backbone of America. They show up in every season, in every kind of weather, to do work that cannot be outsourced, automated, or delayed. We owe it to them, and to future generations, to protect the land they depend on.” Background Congressman Taylor introduced the Protecting American Farmland Act on May 8, 2025, which would prohibit U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds from being used for solar panels on prime farmland. This bill passed through the House of Representatives on April 30, 2026, as part of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 , also known as the Farm Bill. Secretary Rollins and Congressman Taylor discussed the importance of protecting prime farmland from taxpayer-subsidized solar development on June 11, 2025, in a House Agriculture Committee hearing . Secretary Rollins expressed the Trump Administration’s full support of this effort. Congressman Taylor is a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, where he serves on Subcommittees for General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, as well as Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development. ### Issues : Agriculture Congress