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Note: This website is intended to provide general information about legal issues, crop insurance, farm policy, and other risk management issues and should not be construed as providing legal advice. It should not be cited or relied upon as legal authority. For advice about how the issues discussed here might apply to your individual situation, you should consult an attorney.
Welcome to the Maryland Risk Management Education Blog, provided by the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. This blog provides readers with information on risk management issues important to Maryland agriculture, upcoming events, and new materials that may interest readers.
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Remember to do your work when hiring farm employees
Image of Maryland dairy farm with barns, lots, and silo. Image by Edwin Remsberg. This is not a substitute for legal or human resources advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Another version of this post appeared in the American Agriculturist Magazine originally. How to hire farm employees is one topic that I’m often asked to speak on around the country. Although farms might not have deep labor pools at times and are often willing to accept many candidates who a
Paul Goeringer
May 12, 20204 min read
Fed. District Court Dismisses Claims That USDA Violated Law in Granting Loan Guarantee to MD Poultry
Images of people walking away from a broiler house in Maryland. Image by Edwin Remsberg The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. In 2017, Food and Water Watch (FWW) challenged the approval of a loan guarantee by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). FWW argued that FSA had violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in reviewing the environmental impacts of a proposed poultry farm seeking USDA loan guarantees. Recen
Paul Goeringer
Apr 21, 20205 min read
Force Majeure Clauses: What Are They and Do They Apply in Issues Caused by COVID19?
By Paul Goeringer, Elizabeth Thilmany, and Mayhah Suri Image of produce in market by Edwin Remsberg This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. A print-friendly version of this article is available here. 2020 has been a challenging year with the global economic shutdown from COVID-19 leading to disruptions in many industries. Agriculture has had its fair share of disruptions from this global pandemic. Such disruptions have raised que
Paul Goeringer
Apr 10, 20206 min read
Frequently Asked Questions: Paul, My Farm Dog Barks a Lot and the Neighbors Complain
Farm dog running under gate with cattle in background. Image by Chesapeake Bay Program This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. I have gotten a few questions involving farm dogs here lately and thought I would take a moment to provide information here on the issues. If you have livestock, you may have a dog to scares away predators that might injure or kill the livestock. This dog may bark throughout the night, which may cause an
Paul Goeringer
Mar 31, 20203 min read
Where Are My Syngenta Settlement Payments? Checks Going Out by Summer 2020 (Hopefully)
A deer passes through a corn field by the Chesapeake Bay Program) The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Several of you continue to ask me when you might see checks from the Syngenta corn seed settlement. In late 2018, the court approved the settlement order for the $1.51 billion MIR162 Syngenta settlement. Based on the final order, payments to producers should have started going out in the second quarter of 2019, but this
Paul Goeringer
Mar 10, 20202 min read
Farm Bill Workshop Recordings Now Available Online
Combine harvesting grain in Maryland. Image by Edwin Remsberg See here for the site’s reposting policy. The University of Maryland recently partnered with the USDA-Farm Service Agency to host Farm Bill workshops around Maryland. The workshops featured a presentation covering an overview of the program changes with the 2018 Farm Bill, New Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative and USDA/NRCS Farm Bill Program Updates, Farm Bill decision-making process, and an overview of farm
Paul Goeringer
Mar 9, 20201 min read
Federal Estate Tax and Gift Tax Limits Announced For 2020
Grain harvest by Chesapeake Bay Program This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. In November 2019, the IRS announced the revised federal estate tax and gift tax limits for 2020. The federal estate tax limit rises from $11.4 million in 2019 to $11.58 million in 2020. The federal gift tax limit will remain at $15,000 in 2020. In Maryland, state estate tax limits will stay at $5 million. Federal Estate Taxes For 2020, the federal e
Paul Goeringer
Feb 18, 20203 min read
2018 Farm Bill Decision Between ARC and PLC May Not Always Be Clear for Maryland Producers
Image of corn being harvested in Maryland. Image by Edwin Remsberg See here for the site’s reposting policy. Producers have until March 15 to make a couple of decisions involving the 2018 Farm Bill. Program Reminders The first decision is whether to update Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payment yields and whether to enroll in PLC or the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs for the 2019 and 2020 crop years. Producers will need to make this program decision annually starting
Paul Goeringer
Feb 6, 20204 min read
Maryland Court Rules Poultry Farm Manager Is Co-Employee of Integrator in Workers’ Compensation Case
Poultry house in Maryland. Image is by Edwin Remsberg. The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, in Uninsured Employers’ Fund v. Tyson Farms, Inc., recently agreed with the Workers’ Compensation Commission that a poultry farm manager’s occupational disease disablement arose out of his co-employment to both the poultry farm owner and the poultry company, Tyson Farms, Inc. Tyson may app
Paul Goeringer
Jan 28, 20205 min read
Top Developments in Ag Law in 2019
Hemp production at the Wye Research and Education Center. Image by Edwin Remsberg. The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. With 2019 about over and 2020 about to start, I want to take a minute to look back at the top legal developments impacting agriculture in 2019. A few of these legal developments may seem like repeats from my 2018 update; click here to see. Moving into 2020, new issues will emerge as continued lawsuits
Paul Goeringer
Jan 7, 20205 min read
University of Maryland to Host Workshops Geared Towards the 2018 Farm Bill
See here for the site’s reposting policy. This winter, the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) is partnering with the University of Maryland Extension and USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to host a series of one-day workshops geared towards educating Maryland producers on changes associated with the 2018 Farm Bill. You can register for any of the workshops by going here. The 2018 Farm Bill has been called evolutionary and not revolutionary as the 2014 Farm
Paul Goeringer
Jan 2, 20202 min read
University of Maryland to Host Workshops Geared Towards Succession and Legacy Planning
See here for the site’s reposting policy. This winter, the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) is partnering with...
Paul Goeringer
Dec 12, 20192 min read
New South Wales Passes Right-to-Farm Law and Enhanced Trespass Penalties
The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The New South Wales (NSW) Parliament has...
Paul Goeringer
Dec 3, 20194 min read
2nd Round of 2019 Market Facilitation Program Available to Assist Producers Due to Trade Disputes
By Paul Goeringer and Nerice Millet-Williams See here for the site’s reposting policy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm...
Paul Goeringer
Nov 20, 20194 min read
Baltimore City Food Truck Ordinance is Constitutional
The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Over the past few years, a food revolution...
Paul Goeringer
Oct 22, 20194 min read
Frequently Updated Questions: Hey, Paul Does Growing Hemp Qualify for the Right-to-Farm Defense?
The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The 2018 Farm Bill allows for more growers to...
Paul Goeringer
Oct 1, 20192 min read
“Family Farmer Relief Act of 2019” Raises the Aggregated Debt Limit for Chapter 12 Bankruptcies
The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Congress recently passed and the President...
Paul Goeringer
Sep 10, 20192 min read
A Look at 2019 Land Values Nationally, Maryland, and Delaware
By Paul Goeringer and Nerice Millet-Williams The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy....
Paul Goeringer
Aug 20, 20192 min read
USDA Releases 2019 Cash Rent Averages for Maryland and Delaware
By Paul Goeringer and Nerice Millet-Williams This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. USDA’s...
Paul Goeringer
Aug 20, 20192 min read
Where Are My Syngenta Settlement Payments: Why Have Checks Not Been Issued Yet?
This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. A number of you have asked when potential Syngenta...
Paul Goeringer
Jul 30, 20192 min read
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