by Elizabeth | Sep 20, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 20, 2013 Farm groups are having mixed reactions to a bill that will increase the minimum wage in California, according to a Fresno Bee article. The bill, AB 10, was written by Assembly Member Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) and passed the California...
by Elizabeth | Sep 19, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted September 19, 2013 A federal judge upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to set and enforce nutrient standards in the Chesapeake Bay, according to an article by AgProfessional. U.S. District Court Judge, Sylvia Rambo, ruled that the EPA can...
by Elizabeth | Sep 19, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 19, 2013 In a proposed decision, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge, Raymond Cadei, said a fee charged to California water rights holders is invalid and should not be applied or enforced, according to a California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF)...
by Elizabeth | Sep 18, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 18, 2013 Senator and Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will deliver remarks today on the Senate floor, according to Ben Becker, Press Secretary for Sen. Stabenow. She will address the House’s planned vote on H.R....
by Elizabeth | Sep 18, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 18, 2013 Representative Phil Roe (R-TN) introduced a bill that would ban the use of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly referred to as food stamps, for junk food, according to a Yahoo News article, available here. ...
by Elizabeth | Sep 18, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Hemp
Posted September 18, 2013 Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer hopes Kentucky farmers plant hemp in April, saying that a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) gives his state the “green light,” according to WTVQ article, available...
by Elizabeth | Sep 18, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 18, 2013 The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) announced its support for the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. According to the AFBF, “repairs, construction and upgrades to America’s waterways and marine transportation system...
by Elizabeth | Sep 17, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 17, 2013 H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, September 16, by House Agricultural Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK). The text of the bill is available...
by Elizabeth | Sep 17, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Feeding Operations, Clean Water Act, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Law
Posted September 17, 2013 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) have reached an agreement for changes to Iowa’s Clean Water Act (CWA) permit and compliance program for concentrated animal feeding operations...
by Elizabeth | Sep 17, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Disaster Assistance Programs, Farm Service Agency, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, Federal Loan Programs, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted September 17, 2013 The USDA has designated four counties in Texas as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought, according to USDA press release. The Texas counties include: Panola, Polk, Trinity, and Walker. ...
by Elizabeth | Sep 16, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 16, 2013 The National Agricultural Law Center and the American Agricultural Law Association are co-sponsoring a webinar titled, “Enforcing Animal Welfare Statutes: Whose Job Is It, Anyway?” The program will be held Oct. 10, 2013 from 12-1...
by Elizabeth | Sep 16, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Pesticides
Posted September 16, 2013 The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) has filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods Market, Inc. claiming that four products containing unregistered pesticides are being sold at stores in the state, according to a Sacramento...
by Elizabeth | Sep 16, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 16, 2013 Michigan State Representative, Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), has introduced legislation that would allow all Michigan residents to be notified when pesticides have been applied near their properties, according to WEMU article, available here. ...
by Elizabeth | Sep 16, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 16, 2013 Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, has “very, very, very strong objections” to another extension of the current farm bill, according to a Politico article, available here. Vilsack said that an extension would “reward” Congress for...
by Elizabeth | Sep 13, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 13, 2013 House Agricultural Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) voiced his opposition to a two-year extension of the farm bill, saying that the extension might be an attempt to slow the bill’s consideration until it can be written under different...
by Elizabeth | Sep 13, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food Labeling
Posted September 13, 2013 Over 30 Washington state agricultural groups oppose an initiative that would require the labeling of genetically modified foods if passed by voters in November, according to a Capital Press article. Initiative 522 would require labeling...
by Elizabeth | Sep 12, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biofuels, Country of Origin Labeling, Farm Bill, Renewable Energy
Posted September 12, 2013 The National Farmers Union (NFU) recently concluded its Fall Legislative Fly-In, where the Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution supporting the passage of a five-year farm bill, country of origin labeling (COOL) regulations,...
by Elizabeth | Sep 12, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update
Posted September 12, 2013 The House of Representatives will likely vote next week on a bill to cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years, according Jerry Hagstrom in a Capital Press article, available here. commonly...
by Elizabeth | Sep 11, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Country of Origin Labeling, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted September 11, 2013 The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked USDA from implementing and enforcing its revised country of origin labeling (COOL) regulations until a...
by Elizabeth | Sep 11, 2013 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Posted September 11, 2013 A new report released by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) shows significant reductions in the loss of sediment and nutrients from farm fields through voluntary conservation practices in the lower Mississippi River basin,...
