Environmental Quality Incentives Program: U.S. Department of Agriculture Interim Rule Amendments
January 20, 2020
by Jordan P. Wimpy
We wrote in early December that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) issued an “interim rule” to revise the terms and conditions of the Conservation Reserve Program and implement certain program amendments required by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334 (i.e., the 2018…
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…
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…