Environmental Policy
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—September 30, 2025
Today: Sept. 30 @ noon, AgWorks: Foundations of the Employer–Employee Relationship (non-attorney focus)
This month: Oct. 14, 3rd Quarter 2025 Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: H.R.1 (OBBA) Dairy Provisions
Agricultural Labor: Certain H-2A Applicants Eligible for Interview Waiver October 1, 2025 🌾
On September 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State issued an update (PDF) stating that selected categories of nonimmigrant visa applicants “may be eligible” for a waiver of the visa’s interview requirement, including certain H-2A visa applicants. According to the update, the interview waiver applies to “applicants renewing an H-2A visa within 12 months of the prior visa’s […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—September 16, 2025
This Week! 2025 Agricultural Law Symposium—September 18, 2025. In-person at Penn State Dickinson Law, University Park, Pa., 6 CLE credits available!
Next Week: Webinar—Sept. 26, 2025, Understanding the Basics of U.S. Grain Dealer Statutes
Agricultural Labor: Federal Court Permanently Enjoins 2023 H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Calculation Rule, DOL to Publish New Rule 🌾
On August 26, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a final judgement permanently vacating the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2023 final rule, which amended the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) calculation for H-2A workers to draw upon data from […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—September 4, 2025
Register Now, Pay Later! 2025 Agricultural Law Symposium—September 18, 2025. In-person at Penn State Dickinson Law, University Park, Pa., 6 CLE credits available! Early Bird Pricing until Sept. 8!
Attorneys w/ CLE—$150, Non-CLE—$100 REGISTER NOW
Read the latest Agricultural Law in the Spotlight: The Status of Cell-Cultured Meat Regulations
Regulatory Policy: Pennsylvania Meat Processing Industry Hearing September 25, 2025 🌾
On September 25, 2025, from 2:00–4:00pm, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Offices of Rural Affairs and National Ombudsman will hold a Meat Processing Industry Listening Session at the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce. Persons interested in attending may register […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—June 17, 2025
This week: An Overview of State Grain Dealer Statutes in the United States, Wed. June 18 at noon. Center Director Ross Pifer presents with the National Agricultural Law Center.
Next week: Understanding Pennsylvania’s Clean & Green Program: County-Level Administration, Fri. June 27 at noon. Attorney CLE available.
Technology: Federal Court Allows Deere Antitrust Case to Proceed 🌾
On June 9, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued an opinion and order denying Deere & Company’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and allowing the advancement of a case alleging that the company’s repair restrictions violate […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 21, 2025
THIS WEEK: Webinar on Jan. 24, 2025, Understanding the Basics of Pennsylvania’s Carbon Sequestration Law
NEW: Farmland Energy Podcast, The Inflation Reduction Act and Agriculture (Jan. 14, 2025)
Dairy Policy: USDA Publishes Final Rule Amending Federal Milk Marketing Order Pricing Provisions 🌾
On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published in the Federal Register a final rule (90 FR 6600) amending the pricing provisions in the 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) after “separate producer referenda held in each of the 11 FMMOs obtained the necessary two-thirds vote in favor of adoption of […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 7, 2025
Agribusiness: Fifth Circuit Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act Injunction After Brief Reversal, Government Files Petition for Certiorari 🌾
On December 26, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order vacating its December 23 stay of the district court’s preliminary injunction of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its Beneficial Ownership Information reporting requirements, reinstating the pause on the January 1, 2025 compliance deadline for entity owners to file with the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). See Agricultural Law in the Spotlight article: Fifth Circuit Reinstates Corporate Transparency Act Injunction After Brief Reversal, Government […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—November 21, 2024
Avian Influenza: USDA Confirms first HPAI in Swine 🌾
On October 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that the agency had confirmed the first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI/H5NI) in swine in the United States, located in an Oregon non-commercial backyard farming operation. According to the announcement, the premises included “a mix of poultry and livestock, including swine” that “shared water sources, housing, and equipment,” which the department states “has enabled transmission between species [in other states].” APHIS states that “the animals were not intended for the commercial […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—July 15, 2024
This Week—Register Now!
- Tues. July 16: Overview of U.S. State Milk Pricing Systems, Part 2
- Wed. July 17: “HPAI in Poultry and Cattle: How Can We Miss You if You Won’t Go Away?”
Water Quality: Oklahoma Court Holds State Ag Department Must Consider Environmental Impacts of Animal Operations 🌾
On June 28, 2024, the Oklahoma District Court for Delaware County issued an order granting partial summary judgment against the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (OKDAFF) in an action filed by a group of landowners alleging that OKDAFF’s issuance of certain Poultry Feeding Operation registrations violated the […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—July 3, 2024
Environmental Policy: Federal Agencies, USDA Publish 2024 Climate Adaptation Plans 🌾
On June 20, 2024, the White House announced the publication of updated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plans, developed by twenty-four federal agencies. The agencies’ updated plans for 2024–2027 were developed in coordination with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2024–2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, also announced by the agency, USDA identifies numerous threats to agricultural productivity, water quality, lands, and infrastructure and outlines adaptation actions to address climate change […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 8, 2024
Animal Welfare: California’s Proposition 12 Fully Effective January 1, 2024, Producer Certification Required 🌾
On January 1, 2024, California’s Proposition 12 and implementing regulations became fully effective, establishing the state’s Animal Care Program and requiring third-party certification for producers (HSC §§ 25990-25994 and 3 CCR §§ 1320-1327.3). According to a publication from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), as of January 1, 2024, (1) “[p]roducers are required to have a valid Certificate of Compliance,” (2) “[c]overed products sold are required to be from producers with valid Certificates of Compliance,” and (3) “[d]istributors are required to […]
