As a fifth-generation farmer from Garrard County, Kentucky, I’ve spent my life working the land — raising cattle, growing crops, and learning the hard way that you don’t win by playing someone else’s game.
That’s why I’m standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Donald Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on their trade plan for American agriculture. It’s a two-pronged strategy that balances out unfair trade policies and wipes out our agricultural trade deficit, all while putting a big, bold emphasis on bolstering U.S. consumption. For Kentucky’s 76,000 farm families — and farmers across this nation — it’s the kind of plan we’ve been waiting for: one that fights for us, not just the global market.
The first prong takes aim at the rigged rules we’ve been forced to endure. Out here in the fields, we see it every day — countries like China slapping tariffs on our soybeans and corn, undercutting us with cheap imports, or Canada and Mexico gaming the system on dairy and poultry.
It’s not a fair fight when our hands are tied by bad deals and foreign subsidies while their markets stay locked up tight. And it’s not just tariffs — obtuse non-tariff measures like phony sanitary standards or endless red tape on our exports stack the deck even further against us, quietly choking out American farmers while foreign goods flood in.
President Trump’s been here before, and he’s not backing down. His tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China are a wake-up call — level the playing field or pay the price. Will there be some bumps along the way? Almost certainly, but I’d rather sell my beef and grain in a free market than the situation American agriculture has found ourselves in for decades. I’ll take a leader who’s got my back while we reset the board.
AGRICULTURE POWERHOUSE
The second prong is where we close the gap: erasing our $49 billion agricultural trade deficit. It’s downright crazy that America — the world’s ag powerhouse — is importing more food value than we’re sending out.
President Trump and Rollins aren’t settling for that. They’re pushing to pry open markets with tougher United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement enforcement and deals that make China buy American again.
But here’s the real kicker: we’ve got to feed ourselves first. Bolstering U.S. consumption isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the backbone of this plan. Kentucky beef, Iowa corn, California almonds — we grow the best food on Earth, yet too much of what we eat comes from overseas. Rollins’ vision to cut U.S. Department of Agriculture red tape and get our goods to American tables is a game-changer. It’s about pride in our work, security for our nation, and keeping dollars in rural communities like mine instead of shipping them abroad.
As Kentucky’s Ag Commissioner, I’m encouraged by President Trump’s pick of Jamieson Greer as United States Trade Representative — a tough negotiator who’s already proven he can deliver for farmers, like he did with the USMCA and China tariffs in Trump’s first term.
Greer’s confirmation means we’ve got a fighter in the trade ring, but the USDA team needs to be fully in place to back him up. Confirming Secretary Rollins’ Deputy Secretary Judge Stephen Vaden, Luke Lindberg as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs and her under secretaries isn’t just bureaucratic box-checking — it’s critical to executing this two-pronged trade strategy.
These leaders will drive the nuts and bolts of boosting U.S. consumption and tackling unfair trade policies, from streamlining farm programs to ensuring our Kentucky beef and grains dominate American plates. Without them, we risk stalling out when farmers need action most.
WINNING
I’ve fought for farmers my whole career — on the farm, in the Kentucky House, and now as Ag Commissioner. I’ve seen how weak trade policies and Washington overreach grind us down. President Trump and Secretary Rollins get it. Their plan isn’t about handouts or empty promises — it’s about winning. Yeah, there might be some bumps as we go, like any big move worth making, but the payoff is a stronger America that grows what it eats and sells the rest on our terms.
Our call to action: rebalance our trade deficit, ignite American consumption, confirm Judge Stephen Vaden as Deputy Secretary, Luke Lindberg as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs and the rest of the team so we can finally start putting the necessary policies in place for the American farmer!
This isn’t just policy to me — it’s personal. It’s about my family’s farm, my neighbors’ livelihoods, and the future of rural Kentucky. President Trump and Secretary Rollins are bringing the fight we need. Let’s boost U.S. consumption, balance the trade scales, and wipe out that deficit. American farmers are ready to deliver!
_______________
Jonathan Shell was elected Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner in 2023. A fifth-generation farmer, he, alongside his dad Gary, owns and operates Shell Farms and Greenhouses in Garrard County where they raise cattle and grow flowers, corn, and pumpkins. Realizing farming is a way of life for many in Kentucky and agriculture’s vital impact on every Kentuckian, Shell is dedicating his administration to ensuring a bright future for Kentucky agriculture. Commissioner Shell believes agriculture can be summed up in three words: food, faith, and family.