Category Archives: Agriculture Law

Associated Press writer Ryan J. Foley reported last week that, “A judge on Friday sentenced the mastermind of the largest known organic food fraud scheme in U.S. history to 10 years in prison, saying he cheated thousands of customers into buying products they didn’t want. “U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams said Randy Constant orchestrated a… Continue Reading

Adam Belz reported in today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune that, “For years, American farmers’ battle against fake organic-grain imports has centered on Eastern Europe. Now, an organic farm in South America is being scrutinized. “A lengthy complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and obtained by the Star Tribune, alleges fraud at an organic-grain company… Continue Reading

A news release today from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) stated that, “The [RMA] today announced it will defer accrual of interest for all agricultural producers’ spring 2019 crop year insurance premiums to help the wide swath of farmers and ranchers affected by extreme weather in 2019. Specifically, USDA will defer the accrual of interest… Continue Reading

An update yesterday from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) stated that, “Agricultural producers reported they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres in 2019, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since USDA’s Farm Service Agency… Continue Reading

An update earlier this month from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) stated that, “Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2019 totaled 2.67 million colonies, up 1 percent from January 1, 2018. During 2018, honey bee colonies on January 1, April 1, July 1,… Continue Reading

Reuters writers Ludwig Burger and Patricia Weiss reported this week that, “Germany’s Bayer said the next U.S. lawsuit scheduled to be heard over claims that its glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup causes cancer would likely be postponed. “Bayer, which acquired the weedkiller as part of its purchase of Monsanto last year, was initially scheduled to face its… Continue Reading

A news release last week from Rep. Antonio Delgado (D., N.Y.) stated that, “Before adjourning for the August in-district work period, the U.S. Senate passed [Rep. Delgado’s] bipartisan legislation to ease the process of reorganizing debt through Chapter 12 bankruptcy rules to assist farmers during this down farm economy. The legislation now awaits President Trump’s… Continue Reading

A news release yesterday from Sen. Joni Ernst (R, Iowa) stated that, “[Sen. Ernst] introduced legislation to codify into law the Trump Administration’s rollback of the Obama-era ‘Waters of the United States,’ or ‘WOTUS,’ rule. “‘The Obama-era WOTUS rule threatened Iowa’s farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses by giving the federal government authority to regulate water… Continue Reading

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported late last month that, “The former owners/operators of a biodiesel plant in Utah have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in a biodiesel tax and renewable identification numbers, or RINs, fraud case, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah in Salt Lake City… Continue Reading

Bloomberg writer Tim Loh reported yesterday that, “Bayer AG Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann said he’d consider a ‘financially reasonable’ settlement of litigation over the weedkiller Roundup as the caseload swells and the company’s shares slump anew. “The number of lawsuits from people in the U.S. who say the herbicide caused them to develop cancer… Continue Reading