News
Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: PA’s Ag Area Security Law, Right-to-Farm, ACRE, and More
On December 14, 2022, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducted another presentation in our ongoing series for specialty crop producers: Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Understanding Liability Protections, Regulatory Processes, and Other Legal Risks. These presentations are part of a multi-part 2022 educational series to assist Pennsylvania specialty crop producers successfully augment wholesale sales revenue with income from direct sales, pick-your-own, value-added commodity processing, or agritourism, agritainment & educational activities. The purpose of these workshops and webinars is to educate producers about the prevention and planning necessary to best avoid contractual, tort, and regulatory liabilities in conducting […]
Staff Attorney Jackie Schweichler Teams Up with PSU Extension to Discuss the Agricultural Mediation Program
On December 13, 2022, 12 noon, via Zoom, Staff Attorney Jackie Schweichler joined Penn State Extension in their Farm Transition Talk series to discuss the Pennsylvania Agricultural Mediation Program. This webinar covered agricultural dispute resolutions in general, plus other related items in regards to farm transition, succession, and overall exit strategy.
Learn more and access the recording on the PSU Extension event page:
“Farm Transition Talk: Agricultural Mediation Program Discussions”
Brook Duer Joins PSU Extension to Discuss Business Structures and Farm Transition
On December 6, 2022, staff attorney Brook Duer joined Penn State Extension in their Farm Transition Talk series. This webinar, entitled “Agricultural Attorneys – Business Structures” covered topics including “business structure legal discussions, and other related items regarding farm transition, succession, and overall exit strategy.”
A description of the program from PSU Extension:
Have you ever considered your exit strategy for your farm or agricultural business? What will happen when you are no longer around or able to operate your farm or agricultural business? The Farm Transition Talk webinar series helps address these questions about starting and improving your farm transition plans.
This […]
Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Municipal Law & Zoning for Agritourism
On November 30, 2022, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducted another presentation in our ongoing series for specialty crop producers: Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Understanding Liability Protections, Regulatory Processes, and Other Legal Risks. These presentations are part of a multi-part 2022 educational series to assist Pennsylvania specialty crop producers successfully augment wholesale sales revenue with income from direct sales, pick-your-own, value-added commodity processing, or agritourism, agritainment & educational activities. The purpose of these workshops and webinars is to educate producers about the prevention and planning necessary to best avoid contractual, tort, and regulatory liabilities in conducting […]
Understanding the Basics of Federal & State Conservation Programs
On November 18, 2022, from 12 noon – 1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Business Development Center presented this webinar on conservation programs as part of our ongoing educational series, “Understanding Agricultural Law.” This session in our series is entitled, “Understanding the Basics of Federal & State Conservation Programs.”
This session summarized the history, progression, and current implementation of the leading federal and state soil conservation programs, which greatly impact water quality, and the entities that administer them, including USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), […]
Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Licensing and Regulatory Obligations
On November 16, 2022, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducted another presentation in our ongoing series for specialty crop producers: Legal Planning for Specialty Crop Producers: Understanding Liability Protections, Regulatory Processes, and Other Legal Risks. These presentations are part of a multi-part 2022 educational series to assist Pennsylvania specialty crop producers successfully augment wholesale sales revenue with income from direct sales, pick-your-own, value-added commodity processing, or agritourism, agritainment & educational activities. The purpose of these workshops and webinars is to educate producers about the prevention and planning necessary to best avoid contractual, tort, and regulatory liabilities in conducting […]
Ross Pifer Presents at Pennsylvania Hemp Summit
On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Center Director Ross Pifer joined the Pennsylvania Hemp Summit for a educational session on Negotiation Skills.
The Workshop is described in the agenda as follows:
PD Workshop: Negotiation Skills presented by Ross Pifer, Center for Ag and Shale Law
Whether you’re farming, processing business, or beyond, working with other people and creating deals is part of the job. Learning how to negotiate workable terms through good negotiation skills can help you be more successful in business and in life. In this session, Ross Pifer, Director of the Center for Ag and Shale Law at PSU, will equip attendees […]
October 2022 Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar
On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, from 12 noon – 1pm (ET), Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law held the latest installment in its Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar series. In addition to a round-up of quarterly legal developments, the focus topic was the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill and the potential implications for the dairy industry. What new or revised provisions, programs or policies impacting dairy are the subject of advocacy and by whom? Dairy remains a core commodity and the revenue protection programs, for example, have been tweaked in each of the last few farm bills. Federal Milk Marketing Order […]
Understanding the Basics of Crop Insurance
On October 21, 2022, from 12 noon – 1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Business Development Center presented another webinar in our educational series, “Understanding Agricultural Law.” This session in our series is entitled, “Understanding the Basics of Crop Insurance.”
Farmers are known as “price-takers” in normal times, dealing with perishable crops which generally must be harvested and sold in short and simultaneous windows of time across most of North America. Add to that the uncertainties of natural conditions like freezing temperatures, storms, heat, drought, natural disasters and market/labor […]
Chloe Marie Publishes Research Paper on Geographical Indications
On October 5, 2022, Research Specialist Chloe Marie published a research paper, titled “An Overview of the Protections for Geographical Indications in the United States and the European Union.”
In this research paper, Chloe explains the nature and extent of the legal protection conferred to geographical indications in the United States as well as the European Union and why the enforcement of the European geographical indications system has been of particular concern to the U.S. agricultural sectors, especially regarding the direct and indirect impacts of such enforcement on international trade.
Her research paper is available for download in a PDF format.
