Category Archives: General Interest

Topics (usually with a legal slant) that may be of interest to the general public

Driveless Car Startup Aurora Innovation Inc. Gets Backing from Volkswagen and Hyundai

By Keith Good | Published: January 11, 2018

Tim Higgins reported earlier this month at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “In the race to develop driverless cars, Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co. are placing bets on a Silicon Valley startup founded a year ago by the former leaders of autonomous vehicles at Google and Tesla. “Aurora Innovation Inc. on Thursday announced separate partnerships… Continue Reading

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Proposed Legislation Helps Farmers in Chapter 11 Battles

By Keith Good | Published: January 11, 2018

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported today that, “On Oct. 11, 2008, one of the nation’s largest ethanol producers, VeraSun Energy, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The action left thousands of farmers who sold corn to the South Dakota company’s ethanol plants at a loss. “What compounded those losses, attorney Joseph A. Peiffer said, is… Continue Reading

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FoodMaven, a Startup to Cut Food Waste, Gets Backing from Walton Family

By Keith Good | Published: January 10, 2018

Bloomberg writer Craig Giammona reported earlier this week that, “Members of the Walton family, heirs to the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. fortune, are backing a startup that thinks it can turn a profit by reducing food waste. “The business, called FoodMaven, has completed an $8.6 million Series A fundraising round that includes financing from the billionaire Walton… Continue Reading

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New Tax Law Gives Cooperatives an Edge over Competitors

By Keith Good | Published: January 10, 2018

Jacob Bunge and Richard Rubin reported yesterday at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “The new U.S. tax law has placed Rick Tronson, a North Dakota grain-company operator, in a precarious position by unexpectedly bestowing big benefits on his main competitors. “A provision inserted into the tax code during Senate and House negotiations in December… Continue Reading

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Lawsuit Against Wall-Mart Over Organic Eggs

By Keith Good | Published: January 9, 2018

Reuters writer Tom Polansek reported yesterday that, “Wal-Mart Stores Inc misled U.S. shoppers by selling organic eggs laid by hens raised in enclosed structures under package labels that said the birds had access to the outdoors, a federal lawsuit alleged on Monday. “The suit highlights uncertainty among consumers about production practices in the $500 million… Continue Reading

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Investors Questioning Viability of Meal-kit Startups

By Keith Good | Published: January 9, 2018

Heather Haddon reported yesterday at The Wall Street Journal Online that, “Investors are losing their appetite for meal kits. “Just a few years ago, the business of delivering packages containing premeasured ingredients that people assembled into meals was a novel one, drawing hundreds of millions of dollars from venture capitalists and other investors. “Now, many… Continue Reading

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Investors Ploughed at least $700m into Agricultural Tech Companies in 2017

By Keith Good | Published: January 8, 2018

Chloe Cornish reported today at The Financial Times Online that, “More money went into funding agricultural technology start-ups last year than the previous two combined, as battle lines were drawn between traditional ‘big ag’ companies and some of the Silicon Valley venture capitalists looking to upend the multibillion-dollar industry. “Investors ploughed more than $700m into… Continue Reading

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For-Profit Urban Farm in Des Moines City Limits

By Keith Good | Published: January 5, 2018

Brian Taylor Carlson reported on the front page of today’s Des Moines Register that, “Jenny Quiner pulls back giant tarps to check the fragile lettuces growing in her high tunnel greenhouse. Rows of perky green lettuces sprout from the ground. She recovers them, then steps outside into the frigid winter to check on the cover… Continue Reading

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Arkansas Plant Board Stands By Dicamba Ban

By Keith Good | Published: January 4, 2018

Associated Press writer Andrew Demillo reported yesterday that, “Arkansas regulators stood by their plan Wednesday to ban an herbicide that farmers in several states say has drifted onto their crops and caused damage, despite a request from lawmakers to reconsider the restriction and a lawsuit by a maker of the weed killer. “The state Plant… Continue Reading

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Agricultural Implications of the New Tax Law

By Keith Good | Published: January 4, 2018

An update posted today at the Delta Farm Press Online indicated that, “Farm Credit East tax experts have reviewed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — the largest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 30 years. ‘Overall, the new tax provisions will provide significant benefits to Northeast farmers,’ says Dario Arezzo, Farm Credit… Continue Reading

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