by Elizabeth | Dec 6, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, United States Department of Agriculture, Water Law
Posted December 6, 2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced an expanded partnership to support water quality trading and other market-based approaches that provide benefits to the environment and...
by Elizabeth | Dec 5, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety
Posted December 5, 2013 The U.S. Justice Department received a two-month extension in a $40 million lawsuit that tomato growers filed against the government for losses in 2008 when officials named tomatoes in a salmonella outbreak that was later found to be linked...
by Elizabeth | Dec 5, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food Labeling
Posted December 5, 2013 Colorado could be the next state to vote on labeling rules for genetically modified (GMO) food, according to an article by the Huffington Post, available here. Larry Cooper, co-chair of the Right to Know Colorado campaign, said that the...
by Elizabeth | Dec 5, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Safety
Posted December 5, 2013 Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, former USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, will joint Deloitte & Touche LLP consumer products practice as a food safety senior advisor, according to a Farm Futures article available here. Hagen will “advise...
by Elizabeth | Dec 4, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Labeling, Food Safety
Posted December 4, 2013 Raw milk produced in South Dakota will be regulated under new rules beginning December 11, 2013, according to a Food Safety News article available here. South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Lucas Lentsch approved the rules, the changes...
by Elizabeth | Dec 4, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food Safety
Posted December 4, 2013 Eric and Ryan Jensen have agreed to assign their lawsuit against PrimusLabs to the victims of the 2011 listeria outbreak connected to cantaloupe from their farm, according to an article by The Packer available here. The Jensens hired...
by Elizabeth | Dec 4, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Business Organizations, Farm Labor, Federal Loan Programs, Finance and Credit, Labor, Land Ownership, Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted December 4, 2013 A resource guide developed by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the Farmer Veteran Coalition Partnership (FVC) provides information and assistance for military veterans seeking employment in agriculture, according to a Drovers...
by Elizabeth | Dec 3, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Food Safety, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted December 3, 2013 The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that a California meat packer, Westland Meat Co., and two companies that provided loans to the operations have agreed to settle allegations of inhumane handling of cattle, failing to inspect...
by Elizabeth | Dec 3, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, Marketing Orders
Posted December 3, 2013 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed an exemption from the Food Safety Modernization Act rules for a few produce items, according to an article by The Packer available here. The exemption would apply to produce which is...
by Elizabeth | Dec 3, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Country of Origin Labeling, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted December 3, 2013 The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA), defendant-intervenor in a lawsuit challenging the USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling rule (COOL), announced it received notification that oral arguments in the appeal of the denial of...
by Elizabeth | Dec 2, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted December 2, 2013 While farm bill negotiators failed to meet a self-imposed deadline of reaching a framework for a conference report before the holidays, work has continued and those involved are optimistic that an agreement is possible by the end of the year,...
by Elizabeth | Dec 2, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted December 2, 2013 UDSA recently announced the availability of nearly $10.5 million in grants to help agricultural producers enter into value-added activities, according to the USDA news release available here. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, said,...
by Elizabeth | Dec 2, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Environmental Law, Fish and Wildlife Service
December 2, 2013 A wind energy company has pleaded guilty to killing birds in violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and has agreed to pay $1 million in fines, according to an AgProfessional article available here. The fine is part of a plea agreement...
by Elizabeth | Nov 27, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Commodity Programs, Farm Bill, Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted November 27, 2013 The lack of a long-term farm bill is threatening foreign trade programs which have contributed to the “best five-year run of agricultural trade in U.S. history,” according to an AgWeek article available here. “Now’s not the time to...
by Elizabeth | Nov 27, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Food and Drug Administration, Food Labeling
Posted November 27, 2013 Senators recently introduced legislation that would ease proposed FDA menu labeling requirements for pizza delivery restaurants, grocery stores, and vending machines, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here. FDA issued two...
by Elizabeth | Nov 26, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, Finance and Credit
Posted November 26, 2013 The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) recently dropped a proposed rule that would have authorized companies within the Farm Credit System network of lenders to make investments in rural hospitals, retirement homes, and similar facilities,...
by Elizabeth | Nov 26, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Forestry, Pesticides, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Posted November 26, 2013 The use of drone technology in agriculture has recently become a topic of interest at universities and agriculture groups across the country. A forum examining the use of drone technology in agriculture will take place in Oregon on...
by Elizabeth | Nov 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Water Law
Posted November 25, 2013 After a manure spill earlier this month at one of Iowa’s largest hog operations, a coalition a groups notified the Maschhoffs, LLC that they intend to file a lawsuit claiming repeated violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA), according to an...
by Elizabeth | Nov 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Local Food Systems, Nutrition Programs, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted November 25, 2013 USDA announced grants for 71 projects over 42 states and the District of Columbia to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and ranchers through is Farm to School program, according to the USDA news release available here. Farm...
by Elizabeth | Nov 25, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Cottage Foods, Food Safety, Local Food Systems
Posted November 25, 2013 A Minnesota business owner recently filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s “cottage foods” law, according to a KSTP News article available here. KAAL TV also reported on the story here. Under the law, Minn. Stat. § 28.A.15 (2013), Jane...
