U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins this week hosted the inaugural Farmers First roundtable at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In attendance were Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s board of directors and more than 20 farmers and ranchers from 11 states who run smaller-scale, independent, family-owned operations. Based on farmer feedback, Rollins said she will launch a plan later this month to “ensure smaller-scale family-owned farming operations are economically viable and those who want to start and keep their own farms for generations to come are able to.” Rollins signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve collaboration, coordination, and to ensure partnership with agriculture partners. Following several natural disasters that deeply impacted farms and ranches across the country, Rollins announced plans to expedite $21 billion in disaster assistance, with payments distributed as early as the end of May.