Non-Local News Releases

(Washington, D.C., July 24, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refocusing its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry.

Over the last four years, USDA's workforce grew by 8%, and employees' salaries increased by 14.5% - including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them. This all occurred without any tangible increase in service to USDA's core constituencies across the agricultural sector. USDA's footprint in the National Capital Region (NCR) is underutilized and redundant, plagued by rampant overspending and decades of mismanagement and costly deferred maintenance. President Trump has made it clear government needs to be scrutinized, and after this thorough review of USDA, the results show a bloated, expensive, and unsustainable organization.

 (Washington, D.C., July 23, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins issued a statement congratulating President Donald J. Trump on the major trade breakthrough that gives greater access to U.S. beef producers selling to Australia:

"American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world. It's absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years. Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines. This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way," said Secretary Rollins.

Las Cruces, NM – Doña Ana County District Attorney Fernando R. Macias announces that a jury has returned a guilty verdict against Alan Duane Dodson on five counts of Criminal Sexual Penetration in the First Degree and one count of Criminal Sexual Contact in the Second Degree in his retrial for multiple felony sex offenses.

The case was re-tried following a previous proceeding that resulted in a hung jury. Today's verdict ensures that Alan Duane Dodson will be held responsible under the full extent of the law.

The victim, who was 10 years old when the abuse began, was related to Dodson through family ties. He was the victim's uncle due to a long-term relationship with the victim's aunt. Dodson exploited that trusted role within the family to carry out repeated acts of sexual abuse.

SANTA FE – Youth hunters will be eligible to purchase one of 1,960 antlerless Youth Encouragement Elk licenses through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's Online License System starting at 10 a.m. MDT on July 29.

The Department apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the technical difficulties that postponed the original sale date. We greatly appreciate our customers' patience during this process. The Department will announce the leftover draw license sale soon.

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State University alumni and chile enthusiasts in the Washington, D.C. area can pre-order authentic New Mexico green chile through July 31 for pickup at a roast event Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Harris Teeter located at 4641 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) proudly supports The Fix: An Aggie Chile Roast, an event hosted by New Mexico State University's (NMSU) Sam Steel Society Council—a group that awards scholarships each year to outstanding NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences students. Proceeds from events like The Fix directly support scholarships that help cover college expenses such as travel, club fees and leadership development.

Federal resources and funding available for Lincoln County response   

SANTA FE –

The state of New Mexico today announced that the federal government has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for New Mexico communities damaged by flooding, unlocking federal funds to support response and recovery efforts in Lincoln County. 

"This federal declaration delivers the action we sought for a community that has shown incredible resilience through repeated disasters." said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. "The people of Lincoln County deserve every resource we can provide, and we will continue working until every family and business in New Mexico has fully recovered." 

(Washington, D.C., July 23, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announces the kick-off event and programming for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In celebration with America 250, the event will be hosted during National Farmers Market Week and will run this summer from Sunday, August 3 to Friday, August 8, daily from 4:00-8:00 p.m. ET.

"America's farmers, ranchers, and producers dedicate their lives to feeding their fellow citizens, and the Great American Farmers Market gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase the rich bounty of our agriculture on the National Mall. No President has supported farmers more than President Trump. Every single day we are fighting for our farmers and ranchers by cutting taxes, strengthening the farm safety net, and delivering huge wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill so producers can continue feeding our nation for generations to come," said Secretary Rollins. "This historic farmers market will give visitors to our nation's capital opportunities to learn, shop, snack, and explore."

Half of households on Native American reservations lack access to reliable water sources, clean drinking water, or adequate sanitation

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), introduced the Tribal Access to Clean Water Act to dramatically expand access to clean water for Tribal families by investing in water infrastructure. This bill would increase funding through the Indian Health Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Bureau of Reclamation to support water infrastructure projects in Tribal communities and help provide clean water to Native American households that currently lack access.