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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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Potential Class Action Lawsuit Filed Arguing Broiler Growers Are Employees of Company
Poultry farm with deer in foreground image by Chesapeake Bay Program.jpg The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. An interesting potential class action was recently filed in U.S. district court in South Carolina involving a broiler grower and Amick Farms. In this class action suit, the grower argues that they and other similarly situated growers for Amick Farms are Amick employees and not independent contractors
Paul Goeringer
May 10, 20224 min read
Meat Labeling Laws: What's in a Name?
This post focuses on two recent federal cases filed by plant-based food manufacturer The Tofurky Company challenging LA and MO laws.
Sarah Everhart
May 3, 20224 min read
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Image of hay being chopped by Chesapeake Bay Program See here for the site’s reposting policy. Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the United States since 1949. It is a month dedicated to the awareness and impacts mental health can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities. The University of Maryland Extension Farm Stress Management Team was created to work with farmers, farm families, and the agricultural ind
Press Release
May 2, 20221 min read
FSA Updates Farm Loan Programs To Increase Equity Among All Current Borrowers
Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. In March, the USDA announced that it is updating its farm loan programs to allow FSA flexibility in working with existing borrowers who may be in non-compliance with their loan program requirements, if the borrower acted in good faith and relied on a material action of, advice of, or non-action from an FSA official. This change applies to all current borrower
Nicole Cook
Apr 26, 20224 min read
Farm Service Agency Programs for Socially Disadvantaged Producers
Image of Kate Tully in Ethiopia by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources See here for the site’s reposting policy. The USDA provides producers with several effective risk management programs to protect new farmers starting their operations, and allow farmers to manage the risks on their farms. For example, the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) will enable farmers to obtain loans for their farms and crops to ensure stability against financial losse
Nerice Millet-Williams
Apr 20, 20223 min read
Proposed Legislation Would Allow for Higher THC Levels in Hemp Products
Image of hemp growing in Maryland by Edwin Remsberg The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Maryland General Assembly currently has a bill before it which would all for products made from industrial hemp to contain 1 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration on a dry weight basis. This would be up from the current limit of THC, which cannot exceed 0.3 percent concentration on a dry weight basis. As we
Paul Goeringer
Apr 19, 20223 min read
New Online Water Assessment Tool Guides Growers Through Proposed Rule Requirements
This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Anyone who attended a Produce Safety Rule grower training this past winter might remember hearing about the proposed rule that will change the agricultural water regulations that apply to covered farms. For anyone who has not heard yet, a recent blog post goes into detail about what the Proposed Rule changes will entail. In a nutshell, if finalized, the proposed rule will require far
Sarah Everhart
Apr 12, 20223 min read
Cover Crops & Federal Crop Insurance Program
Image of Cover Crops Planted Into Corn Field by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources See here for the site’s reposting policy. Cover crops have become a more recently focused commodity in Maryland. A cover crop, a plant that covers soil, is specifically used to improve soil health and nutrient cycling, reduce erosion, enhance water availability, increase biodiversity, and control weeds, pests, and diseases. These crops have proven to improve the
Nerice Millet-Williams
Apr 7, 20226 min read
Reduce Farm Labor Law Compliance Risk: Check Out DOL’s Online Sessions
Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Do you have questions about Federal labor laws that apply to your farm workers? What about the H-2A Temporary Employment Certification requirements? Or, would you like to learn more about OSHA health and safety requirements for farm workers? Maybe you want a refresher on the Fair Labor Standards Act and child labor, or maybe how to comply with the Migrant a
Nicole Cook
Apr 5, 20222 min read
Nursery Commodity Insurance Program
Image of Charles and Matt Bauer growing hydroponics snapdragons in greenhouse by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources See here for the site’s reposting policy. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) established the Nursery Commodity Insurance Policy Program, providing risk management for all eligible nursery commodities on farm operations. This program is specifically for producers who field- or container-grow nursery plants and sell them through w
Nerice Millet-Williams
Mar 30, 20226 min read
Understanding What an Easement by Necessity Is and When One Is Created
Antietam National Battlefield in Washington County, Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay Program The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. A court may grant an easement by necessity as a remedy when an owner splits a parcel into two properties, and one of those new properties becomes inaccessible. The idea is that the parties did not intend to create a property unfit for occupancy. A recent decision by the Court of Spe
Paul Goeringer
Mar 29, 20225 min read
UME will host a series of Farm Stress Management Workshops for Agriculture Service Providers
Image of UME Farm Stress Logo See here for the site’s reposting policy. This workshop is designed for Agriculture Service Providers to equip them with the skills and knowledge to support farms and farm families in times of distress. The University of Maryland Extension Farm Stress Management Team will train service providers to identify signs of distress, develop skills to communicate with those experiencing stress and provide resources both locally and nationally. Financial
Paul Goeringer
Mar 28, 20221 min read
Avoiding a Forced Farm Sale
Photo Credit Edwin Remsberg The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Recently I got a call from a farmer who owns a farm with a sibling and the sibling had filed a legal proceeding to force a sale of the farm. The farmer was understandably upset and confused as to how a farm he co-owned could be sold without his permission. Adding to the confusion was the legal terminology used to describe the relief sought - "a sale in lieu
Sarah Everhart
Mar 22, 20223 min read
MicroFarm Insurance Program
Image of 2021 Silver Spring Farmers Market by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources See here for the site’s reposting policy. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) established the Micro Farm Insurance Policy Program through the 2018 Farm Bill, providing risk management for all commodities on operations, under one policy, with up to $100,000 in approved revenue. The Micro Farm Policy is a new insurance program offered through Whole-Farm Revenue Prot
Nerice Millet-Williams
Mar 17, 20224 min read
Beginning and Veteran Producer Crop Insurance
Image of Woman from Ankober, Ethiopia by University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources See here for the site’s reposting policy. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provides producers with effective risk management tools, such as crop insurance, to protect farmers during agricultural disasters, and allow farmers to manage the risks on their farms. For example, the Federal Crop Insurance Program allows farmers to purchase coverage on their farm and crops
Nerice Millet-Williams
Mar 16, 20224 min read
Proposed Maryland Legislation Would Regulate Delta-8 Products
Image of hemp growing in a field by UK College of Agriculture, Food & Environment The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Maryland is one of many states currently looking at regulating products containing delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This cannabinoid is one of over 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Before the General Assembly, Senate Bill 788 (SB0788) would move products containing delta-8 to mirror exi
Paul Goeringer
Mar 9, 20223 min read
UME Family Communications and Estate Planning Webinar To Be Held Mar. 17
Two people talking at a table. Image by Edwin Remsberg See here for the site’s reposting policy. College Park, Md. -- Estate planning for farms is a difficult subject to navigate -- families must create a plan of succession for the business, understand the legalities of property inheritance, all while dealing with the emotional toll of having difficult conversations with their loved ones. University of Maryland Extension specialists have joined forces to create a workshop th
Paul Goeringer
Mar 8, 20222 min read
Prepare for Spring Planting, Attend Upcoming Soil Amendments Workshop
The Maryland Food Safety Network is hosting a single-day Soil Amendments Workshop for best practices for using BSAAOs.
Sarah Everhart
Mar 1, 20222 min read
Get A Handle On Farm Taxes At UMES Extension and ALEI’s Ag Tax Workshop
Photo by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Want to better understand agricultural tax issues associated with managing a farm operation? Consider attending UMES Extension’s upcoming Agribusiness and Tax Considerations Workshop. UMES Extension and ALEI are presenting this in-person workshop March 3-4 to help farmers better understand agricultural tax issues associated with managing a farming operation wh
Nicole Cook
Feb 22, 20221 min read
When Estate Planning Goes Wrong: Why Might a Receivership Be Required?
Combine Harvesting in Nebraska by Tim Vrtiska The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Today I want to highlight what can go wrong when an estate plan is not adequately developed. Unfortunately, the process of developing an estate plan that works for the family often requires that family members communicate freely on goals and other sensitive topics. At times disputes might arise, especially when we see property
Paul Goeringer
Feb 15, 20223 min read
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