National Agricultural Law Center
Quarterly eNewsletter

First Quarter, 2016
 
 
Components



 

  Estate Planning

  Finance & Credit

  Food Labeling

  Food Safety

  International Trade

  Labor

  Landowner Liability

  Marketing Orders

  Nat'l Organic Prog.

  Native American Ag

  Packers & Stockyards

  PACA

  Pesticides

  Production Contracts

  Secured Transactions

  Sustainable Ag

  Urban Encroachment 

  Water Law 

 


AgLaw Reporter

  Case Law Indexes

  State Compilations  

  AgLaw Updates

  USDA JO Decisions


 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
Spring is finally here, and we're thrilled to share updates from the National Agricultural Law Center and the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium.
Before those updates, though, I want to share the most exciting update of all- on March 25th, the Center family grew again with the birth of Abigail "Abby" Jeanette Rumley, daughter of Senior Staff Attorneys Elizabeth and Rusty Rumley.  We're already teaching her the essentials of agricultural law, and look forward to her future contributions in the field!   
On April 22, the Consortium is hosting the Third Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.  This year's program features great sessions from speakers throughout the country.  Looking forward to seeing everyone there, and there is still time to register if you'd like to attend!  We hope you can join us for the conference as well as the barbeque dinner reception the night before at the world famous Rendevous restaurant.  
Also, thank you to everyone who submitted pre-proposals as part of the Consortium's first-of-its-kind funding opportunity to expand the development of objective agricultural and food law research and information.  We are in the final stages of the award process now, and will launch a new call for proposals during the second quarter of 2016. 
During the first quarter of 2016, we continued our monthly free webinar series, featuring programs on free internet legal research, induced seismicity in shale development, and navigating the USDA National Appeals Division appeals process.  On April 20, the webinar program will be Organic Aquaculture Standards: Navigating Potential USDA Regulations.  For a list of archived and upcoming webinars, visit our website here.
The Center is proud to sponsor the 10th Annual John Huffaker Course in Agricultural Law, which will be held live May 26-27 at the Texas Tech University School of Law.  This year's program will be outstanding and cover many relevant agricultural law issues.  For more information, visit the Texas Bar Association website here.
As always, we continue to add new resources to our website, and for daily updates in agricultural and food law, be sure to check the Center's Twitter account,  Facebook page, and the Agricultural & Food Law Blog.  We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Center, and welcome your input and suggestions on how best we can provide objective agricultural and food law research and information to stakeholders throughout the United States.  


Sincerely, 

Harrison Pittman Signature   
Center Director 
Third Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference
 
The Center, as part of the Agricultural and Food Law Consortium, will be hosting the Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference on Friday, April 22, 2016, at the University of Memphis School of Law, from 8:00 am through 4 pm.  

The workshop will have speakers covering a wide range of topics, including: 
  • Agricultural & Environmental Law Update:  Recent Trends and Developments
  • Lenders, Lawyers, and their Farmers: Managing Risk in a Faltering Ag Economy
  • When the Clock is Ticking:  Handling an Ag Bankruptcy
  • When the Corps & EPA Comes A-Knockin' on the Farm:  Navigating Wetlands Issues
  • Considerations for Legal Ethics: Common Issues
  • Legal Issues & Liability in Agricultural Nutrient Management
The evening before the workshop, attendees are invited to join us for a "BBQ & Beer" welcome reception at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous. The cost of the reception is included in the conference registration.

The program is approved for five hours of general continuing legal education credit and one hour of ethics credit in Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.  

For individuals seeking continuing education credit, the cost will be $175.  For other attendees not seeking professional credit the fee is $125, and for students the fee is $25. In all cases, the cost includes lunch and materials.  More information and a link to register for the conference is available here. 


Ambassador Vetter Visits to Discuss Trans-Pacific Partnership and Agriculture

On March 29, the National Agricultural Law Center co-hosted Ambassador Darci Vetter, Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of United States Trade Representative. 

Ambassador Vetter spoke at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law on the impact of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership and agriculture in Arkansas and beyond.  She delivered public remarks at the law school, followed by an hour-long question and answer session from the audience.  

The presentation was well-attended by students, government officials such as Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward and U.S. Representative French Hill, and stakeholders throughout the agricultural industry.  Many audience questions focused on the impact of the TPP on the rice industry and the applicable dispute resolution provisions of TPP.  While in Arkansas, Ambassador Vetter also spoke at the Arkansas Farm Bureau's 2016 Ag Policy Summit held in Little Rock.  For more information about her visit, click here. (Photo by David Bennett, Delta Farm Press)  
Consortium News: Webinar Series 
 
As part of its mission, the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium continues to host a series of webinars on numerous agricultural and food law topics.  These webinars are freely available to the general public and are typically designed to be appropriate for both attorneys and non-attorneys. 

Recent: 

During this past quarter, three webinars were held for the general public.  In January, Kirstin Nelson, Law Librarian at the National Agricultural Library, discussed available resources for free legal research on the web.  A recording of the webinar is available here. 

In February, Ross Pifer addressed induced seismicity in shale development.  A recording of his presentation is available here. Finally, in March, Amanda Urbanek, Deputy Regional Director, USDA-NAD, covered information for practitioners helpful to understanding the role of the USDA's National Appeals Division. A recording is available here.

Upcoming:

Three webinars are also scheduled for this upcoming quarter.  Next week, on April 20th, National Sea Grant Law Center Staff Attorney Alexandra Chase will discuss the regulatory scheme of organic aquaculture standards. For more information on her presentation, click here.

The May webinar features Dr. Michael Murphy, a Veterinary Medical Officer with CVM/FDA. He will be addressing the use of medically important antimicrobials in animal agriculture. More information on his presentation is available here.  

Finally, in June, Sean High, a staff attorney with the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, will present a foundational webinar on the laws and regulations affecting agricultural labor.  For more information on his presentation, click here. 

In the coming year, the Consortium will be continuing to host public webinars monthly on topics that are important and/or timely to agricultural law.  A listing of upcoming webinars and links to the archived records will remain available here.   
New Center Staff: Mark Camarigg

In January, Mark Camarigg joined the Center staff as Communications and Special Projects Coordinator. He will focus primarily on the Ag and Food Law Blog, social media and conference events.  

Mark is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the University of California at Berkeley. Before joining the NALC, he worked as Manager of Publications at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. Mark chaired the Center's annual Blues Symposium and published the bi-monthly Living Blues magazine. He also lectured on blues music history and co-edited Blues Unlimited: Essential Interviews from the Original Blues Magazine published by University of Illinois Press in 2015.

Prior to his work in Mississippi, Mark practiced law in California focusing on the self-storage industry and real estate and construction issues. He is licensed to practice law in California and Mississippi.
Focus on Outreach
  
Center staff has given multiple presentations to a wide range of audiences over the past quarter.  You can see some recent examples below. If you're interested in learning more about any of the topics below, or in having Center staff present at a conference or webinar you're sponsoring, please contact us.
  
In-person presentations:


  • Rusty Rumley and Elizabeth Rumley attended a multi-day workshop in Ames, Iowa, discussing legal issues in veterinary medicine.
  • Harrison Pittman presented at the 2016 Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference, February 9-10, discussing environmental law and the regulation of crop agriculture.
  • Harrison and Rusty presented at the NASDA Winter Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.
  • Harrison gave an update on agricultural and environmental law at the 2016 Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting in Little Rock, AR.
  • Rusty hosted a workshop in Searcy, AR on agricultural and mineral leasing.
  • Harrison met with Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to tour the UA System Division of Agriculture Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, AR.
  • Rusty presented at the annual Arkansas Women in Agriculture conference on agricultural leasing and business entities in Little Rock, AR.