by Elizabeth | Nov 2, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the year-long celebration of USDA’s 150th anniversary in 2012. The announcement took place in the hometown of USDA’s founder, President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress...
by Elizabeth | Nov 2, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun a nationwide effort to test pet food for salmonella contamination. FDA investigators have started taking samples of dry pet food, pet treats and diet supplements from distributors, wholesales and retailers...
by Elizabeth | Nov 2, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
This week, the Ohio Department of Agriculture agreed to withdraw a 2008 dairy-labeling rule if opponents drop a claim seeking $1.3 million in legal fees garnered from a multi-year court battle. Ohio milk produced without the use of a synthetic growth hormone no...
by Elizabeth | Nov 2, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agriculture Sciences have been awarded a $2.3 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate how certain cover crops and rotations can improve production of organic commodities. Jason Kaye,...
by Elizabeth | Nov 1, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, International Trade
This week, U.S. rice industry representatives are gathering in Havana for the annual International Trade Fair of Havana (FIHAV) in hopes of developing new trade strategies and gathering support for overturning the U.S. embargo, which would reopen the Cuba market to...
by Elizabeth | Nov 1, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, Food Safety, International Trade, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Agriculture
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation signed a deal with the Brazilian government to collaborate on agriculture projects in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Along with a $2.5 million grant to the Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace, the foundation...
by Elizabeth | Nov 1, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
The North Dakota Farm Bureau is gathering support for a proposed constitutional amendment that would restrict regulation of farming and ranching in the state. If the group gets enough signatures, voters will decide the matter next year. Eric Aasmundstad, State...
by Elizabeth | Nov 1, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Aquaculture, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Law
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by Central California farmers who claimed the federal government lacks constitutional authority to protect the imperiled delta smelt by limiting north-to-south water shipments. Three San Joaquin growers challenged the...
by Elizabeth | Oct 31, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Crop Insurance, United States Department of Agriculture
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) will support crop insurance education and outreach in 47 states to ensure that small and underserved producers get the...
by Elizabeth | Oct 31, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Biotechnology, International Trade, United States Department of Agriculture
According to a USDA press release, new rice varieties that offer new options for U.S. growers and expanded market opportunities for the U.S. rice industry have been developed by USDA scientists and cooperators. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the...
by Elizabeth | Oct 31, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced payments for 156 advanced biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. Vilsack stated that, “this funding will help local producers increase the...
by Elizabeth | Oct 31, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded 20 competitive grants to Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in six states and Puerto Rico to enhance the ability of these colleges and universities to support underserved students and develop a skilled American...
by Elizabeth | Oct 30, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Department of Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act, Farm Labor
Thirty-two Senators joined together to ask Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to give farmers and ranchers adequate time to comment on the proposed rule that would limit their ability to hire youth to work in agriculture. On Sept. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor...
by Elizabeth | Oct 30, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Animal Welfare, Conservation Programs, Crop Insurance, Farm Bill, Finance and Credit, Food Safety, Nutrition Programs, Rural Development
Last week, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree announced that they will introduce the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, a comprehensive bill intended for inclusion in the 2012 farm bill. Helen Dombalis, a Policy Associate with the National...
by Elizabeth | Oct 30, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
This month, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced legislation to make the fraudulent sale of maple syrup a felony offense. The bill is called the Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement (MAPLE) act. In a press...
by Elizabeth | Oct 28, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
The Washington Examiner published an editorial by Agricultural Committee Chairman Frank D. Lucas yesterday, calling on the Senate to take action on H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act. The legislation would ensure that businesses are not subject to...
by Elizabeth | Oct 28, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
Attorney General Eric Holder and Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack released the following statements on the U.S. Disrict Court for the District of Columbia approval of the historic Pigford II settlement: “This settlement allows the Department of...
by Elizabeth | Oct 28, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
Yesterday, a judge approved a $1.15 billion settlement in the decades old class action suit filed by black farmers against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upheld the decision of...
by Elizabeth | Oct 28, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update
The U.S. Agriculture Department has kept tabs for decades on a wide range of agricultural industries that generate billions of dollars for the U.S. economy. The agency has decided to eliminate some reports and reduce the frequency of others to save millions of...
by Elizabeth | Oct 28, 2011 | Ag & Food Law Update, Conservation Programs, Crop Insurance, Farm Bill
This week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stated that he is not proposing the linking of conservation compliance with subsidized crop insurance, but he is confident that the farm bill will include some kind of regulatory leverage. Proposals to cut...
