by Elizabeth | Aug 19, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted August 19, 2014 A judge recently ruled that a coalition of utilities that planted a power line through a small organic dairy farm could be forced to buy the whole property, according to a Minneapolis Star Tribune article by Emma Nelson available here....
by Elizabeth | Aug 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted August 8, 2014 Opponents of Missouri’s Right to Farm constitutional amendment were weighing a recount request, after the measure appeared to pass by the slimmest of margins, according to a Springfield News Leader article by the Associated Press....
by Elizabeth | Aug 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Law, Fish and Wildlife Service, Food Safety, Pesticides
Posted August 8, 2014 National wildlife refuges around the country are phasing out genetically modified crops and a class of pesticides related to nicotine in programs meant to provide food for wildlife, according to a Spokesman Review article by the Associated Press...
by Elizabeth | Aug 8, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety
Posted August 8, 2014 Georgia peanut plant officials waited five days to disclose lab tests positive for salmonella, despite repeated questioning from on-site inspectors rushing to find the source of a deadly national outbreak, according to a Yahoo article by...
by Elizabeth | Aug 7, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Farm Bill, United States Department of Agriculture
–> Posted August 7, 2014 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced an update on implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), according to a USDA press release. President Obama signed the bill into law on Feb. 7, 2014. The 2014 Farm Bill...
by Elizabeth | Aug 7, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, International Trade
Posted August 7, 2014 As a result of Western sanctions imposed over its support for rebels in Ukraine, Russia ordered a ban on all imports of food from the United States and all fruit and vegetables from Europe, according to a Reuters article by Polina Devitt...
by Elizabeth | Aug 6, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Safety, Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted August 6, 2014 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released poultry-inspection rules that will give plant operators the option of conducting their own inspections for bird defects and feces on...
by Elizabeth | Aug 6, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Country of Origin Labeling, Food Labeling, Meat Processing
Posted August 6, 2014 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that required meat producers to label their products with country-of-origin information does not violate free speech rights, according to a Capital Press article by Mateusz Perkowski...
by Elizabeth | Aug 4, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Taxation
Posted August 4, 2014 The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was the target of harsh criticism when the agency inspected and issued fines to small farms engaging in grain storage activities. The farms argued that OSHA did not have the...
by Elizabeth | Aug 1, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted August 1, 2014 Allens Inc. has been ordered to pay $2 million under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), according to The Packer article available here. A recent blog post on the Allens case is available on the blog here. D&E Farms...
by Elizabeth | Jul 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biofuels, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Renewable Energy
Posted July 29, 2014 On July 24, White House counselor John Podesta told a group of senators that reduced volumetric requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2014 are imminent, according to an Agweek article by Jerry Hagstrom available here. A...
by Elizabeth | Jul 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted July 29, 2014 The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) has finalized the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Pear Crop Insurance Provisions. The rule is intended to improve coverage available to pear producers, to clarify existing policy provisions...
by Elizabeth | Jul 29, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Crop Insurance, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted July 29, 2014 Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed producers of their obligation to comply with conservation regulations in order to purchase crop insurance and some vegetable producers have concerns, according to a Delta Farm Press...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety
Posted July 28, 2014 In a 2-to-1 decision, a federal appeals court has rule that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have to ban the practice of feeding antibiotics to “healthy, food-producing livestock, according to a Wall Street Journal article by...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted July 28, 2014 Two additional parties joined a federal lawsuit concerning wild horse policy, which demands the government gather and remove excess horses, according to an Ag Weekly article by Dylan Woolf Harris available here. In an amended complaint...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update, Business Organizations, Finance and Credit, Landowner Liability, Marketing Orders, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Production Contracts, Sustainable Agriculture
Posted July 28, 2014 Armed to Farm (ATF) provides veterans and their spouses an opportunity to experience “sustainable, profitable small-scale farming enterprises.” Veterans will examine farming as a viable career and will learn about the capital, labor, and...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted July 28, 2014 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking renewal of the 2-year charter for its discretionary committee, the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Established October 1, 1996, census of agriculture program responsibility...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted July 28, 2014 The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is proposing to revise the U.S. Standards for Barley under the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) by revising the Definitions of Other Terms to remove Blue Malting barley and...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted July 28, 2014 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that BASF Corp. has filed a petition proposing that the food additive regulations be amended to safely use sodium formate as an acidifier in swine feed. Comments are accepted until August 25,...
by Elizabeth | Jul 28, 2014 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted July 28, 2014 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that decreased the assessment rate established for the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee for the 2014-2015 and following marketing...
