We’ve made it to December, and the Center has had another month of productivity as we strive to further our mission of being the nation’s leading source in agricultural and food law research and information. From webinars to fact sheets, check out what we’ve been up to in the month of November.

Family Law Issues in Agriculture: This month we partnered with Cari Rincker of Rincker Law, PLLC to publish a fact sheet series covering divorce and family law in farm and ranch families. These fact sheets discuss legal issues agricultural families may face when going through a divorce or separation including child support, animal issues, equitable distribution and more. The series also covers nuptial agreements, estate planning concerns and tools such as alternative dispute resolution. The fact sheet series can be found here.

An Overview of “Ag-Gag Laws”: In Arkansas and Beyond: Our webinar this month discussed “ag-gag” or “farm security laws with NALC Senior Staff Attorney Elizabeth Rumley. In this webinar, Elizabeth gave a basic introduction to the format of these laws in different states, as well as a discussion of the challenges and court rulings that have already shaped the conversation. The webinar ended with a discussion of current events, including the lawsuits challenging some currently existing state laws. A recording of this webinar can be found here.

Blog posts:

American Agricultural Law Association 2019 Conference: Our staff traveled to D.C. the first week of November to attend the 2019 American Agricultural Law Association Conference. While there, they participated and sponsored many panels and presentations:

  • The NALC sponsored and NALC Director Harrison Pittman moderated several panels that were part of the AALA program at USDA.
  • Harrison Pittman moderated a panel on federal and state checkoff programs titled, Caught Between Janus and Johanns: The Future of Federal and State Checkoff Programs
  • Elizabeth Rumley moderated and Rusty Rumley participated in a panel discussing Right to Farm in North Carolina and Beyond.

Senate Update: Center Director Harrison Pittman and Senior Staff Attorneys Rusty Rumley and Elizabeth Rumley provided the 4th Quarter 2019 agricultural law update to U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee staffers in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing Room.  The update addressed several topics, including industrial hemp, recent environmental law litigation, and truth in labeling issues at the federal and state levels.

Outreach:

  • Beth Rumley traveled to Russellville, AR to participate in a panel discussing issues facing veteran farmers. This panel was a part of the Vets4Ag Summit, hosted by Arkansas Farm Bureau.
  • Rusty Rumley visited students from the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural Food and Life Sciences to share NALC resources and discuss how legal and public policy influences agriculture.
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