Crop Insurance Dispute Wrapped in Red Tape: One Farmer's Uphill Battle to Overturn Arbitration
December 19, 2019
by Devin R. Bates
A farmer who lost a crop insurance dispute at arbitration took his insurance company to federal district court, filing a motion to vacate the arbitration award. When the lower court split the baby, the farmer and the insurer cross-appealed. In a recently announced opinion, the Eighth Circuit sided…
Innovative State-Led Efforts to Finance Agricultural Conservation: Environmental Defense Fund/National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Report
September 20, 2019
by Walter G. Wright, Jr.
The Environmental Defense Fund and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (collectively, “NASDA”) released a joint report titled: Innovative State-Led Efforts to Finance Agricultural Conservation (“Report”) The authors of the Report include: John Feldmann Vincent Gauthier Maggie…
Business Has Standing to Challenge State Restriction by Alleging it Unconstitutionally Interferes with Commerce
A big win for farmers and small businesses alike, this recent opinion from the Eighth Circuit recognizes the right to challenge a state law alleged to unconstitutionally impede the free market, even where the law hasn’t yet been enforced. The Eighth Circuit sided with small farm wineries in holding…
Reorganization of the Family Farm: Recent Tax and Debt Limit Updates to Chapter 12
August 8, 2019
by Trav Baxter
The past few years haven’t been so kind to farmers. It appears that this year will continue the recent trend of subpar net farm income and increasing debt levels due to several years of various detrimental factors, including low commodity prices, poor weather conditions and the ongoing trade war…
Conservation Innovation Grants/Natural Resources Conservation Service: National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition Notes Grant Opportunity
The National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition (“NSAC”) noted in a recent article that the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) has made available $25 million through the Conservation Innovation Grant (“CIG”) program. The CIG program is stated to be a…