Legal Niches

Opportunities in Food & Agriculture

Posted on March 31, 2009
The Graduate Program in Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law offers the nation's only advanced LL.M. degree in agricultural law. With courses in food law, environmental law, and all other aspects of agricultural law, we take pride in offering a curriculum that covers the full spectrum of law and policy...

From Humans to Livestock, Red River Flooding Impacts All

Posted on March 28, 2009
I usually write about the intersection between energy law and agricultural law, but this post has nothing to do with energy. As a professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law, I have been experiencing my first real flood threat in Grand Forks...

White House Garden Confirmed

Posted on March 20, 2009
Along with a number of other media sources anxious to report the big news, Marion Burros of the New York Times reported that ?Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of the South Lawn on Friday to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt?s victory garden in World War II...

Groundbreaking

Posted on March 20, 2009
Although I love the "Rabbit's Vegetable Garden" photo in my previous post on this issue, this one is pretty cool, too. I have to admit that I do not look this good when I garden.

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Changing the Way We Eat: Alice Waters Interview

Posted on March 15, 2009
Leslie Stahl began her Sixty Minutes interview with Alice Waters last night by acknowledging that Waters "has done more to change how we Americans eat, cook and think about food than anyone since Julia Child."Through the course of the interview, Waters discusses the importance of access to fresh food and her work with the slow food movement...

"Reversing a Troubling Trend in Food Safety"

Posted on March 14, 2009
Food safety was the topic of today's Presidential message. In it, President Obama declared -We are a nation built on the strength of individual initiative. But there are certain things that we can't do on our own. There are certain things that only a government can do...

Recent News from Nebraska Dept. of Ag.

Posted on March 13, 2009

Ethanol: The Cycle Continues?

Posted on March 08, 2009
The New York Times reported on Friday that ethanol producers are lobbying the federal government to increase the 10% cap on ethanol in most gasoline blends to as much as 15%. Ethanol producers also argue that without higher blend levels, there will be no room for the development of advanced biofuels, like ethanol made from wood chips or biological waste...

Recent News from Nebraska Dept. of Ag.

Posted on March 07, 2009

The Journal of Food Law & Policy

Posted on March 05, 2009

"If You Don't Have a Backyard, Dig Up the Front One!"

Posted on March 01, 2009

Biotech Companies "Thwart Scientific Research"

Posted on February 24, 2009
Last week, Andrew Pollack of the New York Times reported on a statement submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by a group of 26 scientists engaged in biotechnology crop research. The statement was submitted by "26 leading corn insect scientists working at public research institutions located in 16 corn producing states...

Lobbying and the School Lunches

Posted on February 22, 2009

A Wrong Turn in Agricultural Production Research?

Posted on February 21, 2009
Consider the difference between the taste of that over-sized strawberry shipped from California and the much smaller strawberries you may grow yourself or remember from childhood. The former, while attractive and perfectly formed, often just does not have the flavor or even the texture found in the latter...

News and Dickinson Ag Law Brief

Posted on February 20, 2009
Nebraska Dept of Ag update is here.The Dickinson Brief is here.

First Lady Visits the USDA, "People's Garden"

Posted on February 19, 2009
In its blog posting, First Lady at Agriculture Department, the New York Times reports that the first lady, Michelle Obama visited the USDA to recognize 18 long-time employees for their service and to present a seedling from the Jackson magnolia, a tree planted by Andrew Jackson on the White House lawn 180 years ago...

News

Posted on February 16, 2009

Contract Chicken Growers' "Housing Crisis"

Posted on February 14, 2009

Consumer Spending on Food

Posted on February 14, 2009
The Wall Street Journal has recently chronicled the impact of the economic crisis on food and agriculture. Financial woes are impacting both consumption and production patterns.With respect to food purchases, in an article published yesterday, Consumers Cut Food Spending Sharply, consumer efforts to trim food costs were described...

Another Agricultural Law Blog & A Request

Posted on February 13, 2009
The American Agricultural Law Association and the National Agricultural Law Center have embarked on a joint blog titled "The United States Agricultural & Food Law and Policy Blog". It should be of interest to readers of this blog.I am updating some research on corporate farming laws for an article...

The Onion

Posted on February 06, 2009
The Onion hits USDA (warning: some profanity included):USDA Official Takes Courageous Stand Against Interstate Countercyclical Potato Pricing

Goats in the News

Posted on February 06, 2009
Pharming, as reported by the NY Times.

A Surprise Regarding Rural Health and Activity

Posted on February 05, 2009
When I grew up on the farm, I did not participate in many organized sports activities, but I spent literally hours every day playing outside. I climbed trees, built forts, helped with chores, even walked around on home made stilts! This is what I would consider to be the typical rural kid lifestyle...

2007 Census of Agriculture Released

Posted on February 04, 2009

Headlines

Posted on February 04, 2009

Ice Storms and Rural Power

Posted on February 01, 2009
Things are pretty tough right now in rural Northwest Arkansas, and it turns out that what we are experiencing may be in part related to a rural infrastructure issue.As Rebecca Smith of the Wall Street Journal reported on January 30 in the article, States Set to Examine Maintenance Budgets as Millions Face Cold With No Power, the recent ice storm "knocked out power to more than 1...

African Rice and More on Payment Limitations

Posted on January 29, 2009
This story is interesting, for its treatment of the economic and social risks associated with production that many producers in the world take.Below, please find a conversation regarding payment eligibility laws that builds upon my earlier post:Commentator's First Comment: I would like of offer a couple of points that I believe you missed in your commentary on the new payment limitation rules...

Headlines and Proposed Rulemaking

Posted on January 29, 2009
Headlines are here.There are a wealth of new rulemakings out there, and USDA has extended the payment eligibility effort for another 60 days. Here is a note I received from Tom Reddick regarding the others: ------------------------------------------------------------ Farm Bill Program Regulations Released ------------------------------------------------------------ Last week, USDA released several conservation program regulations that reflect changes made in the 2008 Farm Bill...

Headlines

Posted on January 23, 2009

What is Agricultural Law

Posted on January 23, 2009
As referenced in previous posts, the Agricultural Law section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) met to discuss the pedagogical and scholarly value of agricultural law, considering as well what belongs in the canon of agricultural law...

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