Agricultural Law Weekly Review
The Agricultural Law Weekly Review provides an update of recent agricultural law developments from local, state, national, and international levels. Subscribe for updates.
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 27, 2026
Today Jan. 27 at Noon: Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Standards of Identity—Regulations and Current Issues (Free Attorney CLE)
Local Agricultural Policy: PA Agriculture Innovation Grant Program Requirements Published, Applications Open February 2, 2026 🌾
On January 24, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin a notice (56 Pa.B. 487) detailing the 2025–2026 fiscal year requirements for the Pennsylvania Agriculture Innovation Grant Program, which offers reimbursement grants to farmers and agriculture businesses to implement “new agricultural technologies, conservation, and renewable energy innovations.” Eligible applicants include agricultural commodity growers with more than $2,000 in anticipated sales […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 20, 2026
Register Now! Educational programming for January:
Wed. Jan. 21, AgWorks: Wage and Hour Laws—Requirements and Exemptions
Fri. Jan. 23, Understanding the Basics of Pennsylvania’s Seasonal Farm Labor Law (Atty CLE)
Tues. Jan. 27, Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Standards of Identity—Regulations & Current Issues (Atty CLE)
Pesticides/Herbicides: U.S. Supreme Court Grants Certiorari to FIFRA Preemption Case 🌾
On January 16, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a petition for a writ of certiorari in Monsanto v. Durnell limited to the question of “[w]hether the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA] preempts a label-based failure-to-warn claim where EPA has not required […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 13, 2026
Register Now! Educational programming for January:
Jan. 21, AgWorks: Wage and Hour Laws—Requirements and Exemptions
Jan. 23, Understanding the Basics of Pennsylvania’s Seasonal Farm Labor Law (Atty CLE)
Jan. 27, Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Standards of Identity—Regulations & Current Issues (Atty CLE)
Food Policy: USDA, HHS Publish Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 🌾
On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 directing Americans to “eat real food,” along with an accompanying website, realfood.gov. The new dietary guidelines recommend that people […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—January 6, 2026
Register Now! Educational programming for January:
Jan. 21, AgWorks: Wage and Hour Laws—Requirements and Exemptions
Jan. 23, Understanding the Basics of Pennsylvania’s Seasonal Farm Labor Law (Atty CLE)
Jan. 27, Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Standards of Identity—Regulations & Current Issues (Atty CLE)
Agribusiness: Eleventh Circuit Finds Corporate Transparency Act is Constitutional 🌾
On December 16, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion finding constitutional the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which requires certain corporate entities to report “beneficial ownership” to the Treasury Department, and reversing the district court’s March 2024 decision. Nat’l Small Bus. […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—December 23, 2025
Industrial Hemp: President Issues Executive Order to Reschedule Marijuana to Schedule III Substance 🌾
On December 18, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” which directs the Attorney General to “take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process”—initiated in May 2024 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s publication of a proposed rule (89 FR 44597)—to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). According to the executive order and accompanying fact sheet, “marijuana is currently controlled as a Schedule I substance, which […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—December 18, 2025
Next Week: Tues. Dec. 23 at Noon—AgWorks: Staying Compliant with Anti-Discrimination Laws
National Agricultural Policy: USDA Announces $12 Billion in ‘Bridge Payments’🌾
On December 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the agency will distribute $12 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding for “one time bridge payments” to U.S. farmers “in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.” According to the announcement, $11 billion is allocated for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which will provide payments to row crop farmers who produce barley, chickpeas, corn, cotton, lentils, oats, peanuts, peas, rice, sorghum, […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—December 2, 2025
This month:
- Dec. 12, Understanding the Clean Water Act & Ag: Biosolids & Food Processing Waste Land Application (Free Attorney CLE!)
- Dec. 16, AgWorks: Staying Compliant with Anti-Discrimination Laws
National Agricultural Policy: Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces ‘Office of the Assistant Chiefs’ to Replace ‘Office of Regional Conservationists’ 🌾
On November 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced its creation of the Office of the Assistant Chiefs (OAC), which will replace the Office of the Regional Conservationists (ORC). NRCS states that “each Assistant Chief will oversee regional operations and work […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—November 25, 2025
Webinar Dec. 12, 2025, Understanding the Clean Water Act & Ag: Biosolids & Food Processing Waste Land Application
WOTUS: EPA, Army Corps Publish New ‘Waters of the United States’ Definition 🌾
On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule (90 FR 52498) to update the definition of “waters of the United States,” redefining the “scope of waters federally covered under . . . the Clean Water Act [CWA], in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA,” […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—November 18, 2025
This Week:
- Nov. 18, AgWorks: I-9 and ICE Raids—Protecting Your Business
- Nov. 21, Understanding the Basics of Cell Cultured Foods & Labeling Laws (free Attorney CLE!)
Local Agricultural Policy: Pennsylvania Legislature Passes 2025–26 State Budget, Governor Signs into Law 🌾
On November 12, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro approved the 2025–26 State Budget, consisting of two primary pieces of legislation: SB 160, “General Fund Appropriations” (PDF, struck provisions removed) and HB 416, “State Government Finances” (implementing legislation) (PDF). Also announced by the governor, the enacted budget appropriates a total of […]
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—November 14, 2025
Next Week:
- Nov. 18, AgWorks: I-9 and ICE Raids—Protecting Your Business
- Nov. 21, Understanding the Basics of Cell Cultured Foods & Labeling Laws (free Attorney CLE!)
Agricultural Labor: DHS Publishes Rule Ending Automatic Extension for Certain Employment Authorization Categories 🌾
On October 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published in the Federal Register an interim final rule (90 FR 48799), effective upon publication, that “end[s] the practice of automatically extending the validity of employment authorization documents (Forms I-766 or EADs) for aliens who have timely filed an application to renew their EAD […]
