On January 11 and 13, 2022, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law will be hosting the 2^nd Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show Agricultural Law Symposium.

The symposium consists of four hours of educational webinars on current topics of importance in agricultural law presented by the Center’s legal staff.  Symposium sessions are free and open to the public and will be conducted via ZOOM on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from 1:00 pm – 3:15 pm (EST) and on Thursday, January 13, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 3:15 pm (EST).

The symposium’s first day focuses on bringing attendees fully up to date on 2021’s biggest agricultural law developments.  Our recap of 2021 will include a discussion of those cases that are now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.  In the second hour, we will be discussing some of 2022’s emerging issues in agricultural law: (a) the legal treatment in international trade of geographical indications from food names/labeling, particularly in the European Union; and (b) antitrust litigation, both civil and criminal, pending in the federal courts against the largest players in the beef, pork and poultry sectors.

Day two will begin with a look at legal issues that arise from the diversification of farm income: (a) liability immunity for agritourism activities; (b) carbon contracts and markets; and (c) grid-scale solar project siting.  The symposium’s final hour will be devoted to up-to-date snapshots of seemingly ever-present but unresolved environmental issues which remain in litigation: (a) the legal disputes over dicamba registrations and chlorpyrifos use; (b) Chesapeake Bay progress and the role played by the Conowingo Dam; and (c) WOTUS, a topic which no ag law symposium will be able to avoid discussing for at least the foreseeable future.

In short, you can’t be fully prepared for 2022 or know where we have been in the last year in agricultural law without attending this symposium.  More information and registration is available at the Center’s event page or you can register directly here.   Session materials will be provided in advance to those who register by the deadline of January 10, 2022, at 5:00 pm.

Four hours of substantive Pennsylvania CLE credits are available for licensed attorneys at no charge to attendees. 

MATERIALS:

Evaluation Form – Please complete this form after attending the Symposium.

CLE Form – This CLE form must be completed by Pennsylvania attorneys who are interested in receiving CLE credit. Please complete and submit this form by Friday, January 14th.

PowerPoints – Day 1:

• Agricultural Law: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead – Part 1
• Agricultural Law: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead – Part 2
• Emerging Legal Issues in Agricultural Markets – Part 1
• Emerging Legal Issues in Agricultural Markets – Part 2

PowerPoints – Day 2:

• Legal Issues in Diversification of Farm Income – Part 1
• Legal Issues in Diversification of Farm Income – Part 2
• Evolving Environmental Regulation Issues in Agriculture – Part 1
• Evolving Environmental Regulation Issues in Agriculture – Part 2

Recordings: 

• Day 1, Hour 1: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead
• Day 1, Hour 2: Emerging Legal Issues in Agricultural Markets
• Day 2, Hour 1: Legal Issues in Diversification of Farm Income
• Day 2, Hour 2: Environmental Regulation Issues in Agriculture

SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 (1:00 – 3:15 pm)                  

 1:00 – 2:00 pm Agricultural Law: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead

• A review of major legal developments from 2021.
• A look ahead at the issues that are pending before the U.S. Supreme Court for resolution in 2022

2:00 – 2:15 pm 15 min. break

2:15 – 3:15 pm Emerging Legal Issues in Agricultural Markets

• The legal treatment of geographical indications from food names/labeling in international trade.
• Antitrust litigation and enforcement in beef, pork, and poultry.

 Thursday, January 13, 2022 (1:00 – 3:15 pm)

 1:00 – 2:00 pm Legal Issues in Diversification of Farm Income

• Agritourism immunity.
• Carbon contracts and markets.
• Grid-scale solar project siting controls.

2:00 – 2:15 pm 15 min. break

2:15 – 3:15 pm Evolving Environmental Regulation Issues in Agriculture 

• EPA/litigation re: dicamba registrations & chlorpyrifos use.
• Chesapeake Bay litigation and the role played by the Conowingo Dam.
• EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” definition (déjà vu all over again).