The final National Agriculture Law Center‘s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (“GIPSA”) workshop on the proposed rules will be tonight in Poteau, Oklahoma, at the LeFlore County Fairgrounds from 6-9pm. For those of you who cannot make it (like myself), I highly recommend reviewing the GIPSA handout and powerpoint presentation. Both give an excellent overview the statutory authority (including …
What Is On My Bookshelf: Ag Book Club
It’s been quite a while since my last Ag Book Club discussion. If you are a new reader to this blog, I got the idea a year ago to finally get organized and read the literature discussing or criticizing the U.S. food and agriculture industry in some way. We discussed the movie Food Inc., and the books Omnivore’s Dilemma, Eating …
Heading to Nebraska for the AALA Conference
Today I am getting on an airplane from LGA and heading to Omaha, Nebraska for the American Agriculture Law Association‘s (“AALA”) 31st Annual Agriculture Law Symposium. I’m always excited to meet other food and agriculture attorneys. Nebraska is such a great agriculture state. I haven’t been to Omaha for a few years. This year’s conference has an excellent line-up: On …
Beef Policy: Follow the New York Beef Producers’ Association Legislative Updates
I am on the New York Beef Producers’ Association (“NYBPA”) Government Relations Committee with Nicole Tommell from Fonda, New York. Together we have started a Facebook page to start keeping the membership updated on state and local policy that may affect New York beef producers. You can also follow the legislative alerts on Twitter @NYBeefLeg. I will also be blogging …
Labor Day Links
I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day! I spent my Labor Day having some good ol’ Texas BBQ and enjoying the street fair in Manhattan. Here are some links for your Labor Day reading: 1. I spent Sunday afternoon listening to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Department of Justice public workshops. It is definitely worth a listen for livestock producers (particularly cattle folks). …
How Can You Help Change the Law?
Many people in the agriculture community like to complain about the law, but only a select few take the time to do something about it. In the recent Grassroots newspaper published by the New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”), there is a great article by Jeff Williams (on page 13) about how a New York agriculture producer took the initiative to …
Excited To Be Blogging Again
Apologies to my readers for taking a hiatus from blogging the month of July. My blog was changed to a different platform to give me greater flexibility. I hope to start video blogging this fall so please stay tuned. Big thank you to Matt Welsh at Kill Disco Design and Ranch House Designs for helping me with this transition. Now …
Will Be Attending NCBA Summer Conference Next Month
I am looking forward to attending the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) Summer Conference Denver, Colorado from July 28-30th. In addition to my activities with Young Producers’ Council (“YPC”) I am a voting member on the Agriculture Policy, Property Rights and Environmental Management and the International Markets Committees for the New York Beef Producers Association. If you haven’t registered already you can …
AAW Spotlight: Interview with Mary Meinhart
If you recall, last fall I did several interviews with several other members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) Young Producers’ Council (“YPC”) leadership board. In case you missed it, you can go back and read the interviews with Brandon Carlson, Dustin Dean, Holly Foster (Part I and Part II), and Ben Neale. I am still on the YPC leadership …
American Agri-Women Speak Out on Food Inc.
Big thanks to all of you who participated in the online discussion a few weeks ago on the movie Food Inc. I still have the discussion available on Google Wave for those of you who just watched the movie and would like to share your views. I believe that discussing these types of movies and books criticizing modern agriculture is …
The Debate on Antibiotics
Recently Katie Couric’s CBS special on antibiotic use on livestock has the agriculture industry (particularly the National Pork Producers Council) once again defending its practices to American consumers. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) sent Dr. Michael Apley, a veterinary clinical pharmacologist from Kansas State University to Washington to visit with Congress about the use of antibiotics in the beef industry and visit with Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. …
Will Be a Panelist at the Sigma Alpha/Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar
I have been asked to be a panelist to speak on agriculture law and policy issues at the Sigma Alpha/Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 20th from 1:15 to 2:45 pm at the Holiday Inn – Historic District Hotel located at 400 Arch Street. I’m really excited about this event for a few reasons. First of …