Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It's hard to believe that 2016 is almost behind us and that the next newsletter will be written in 2017. Time really flies when you're busy! As always, it is great honor to share updates from the National Agricultural Law Center and the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium.
As one of our newest features, we continue to publish daily updates of federal and state legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments via
The Ag & Food Law Update. You can sign up for an RSS update, or go directly to the
Agricultural & Food Law Blog.
The Consortium webinar series also continues. Recent webinars featured compensatory mitigation for impacts on natural resources, litigating wetlands determinations under the Clean Water Act, agricultural leases, and CRISPR technology. Please feel free to recommend topics for future programs. We are developing the webinars for 2017 now and welcome all input. For a list of archived and upcoming webinars, visit our website here.
Final plans are underway for the Fourth Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference in the Spring of 2017. We will send out the initial announcements in the coming weeks, but feel free to contact us with any questions in the meantime. We are planning another terrific program to address legal issues pertinent to Mid-South agriculture, and hope to see both old and new friends and colleagues there!
Finally, with very heavy hearts we share with you that our dear friend and colleague Ann Winfred passed away last week. I had the pleasure of working with Ann since I arrived at the Center in 2001. Ann was absolutely a one-of-kind person and we'll miss her friendship dearly.
As always, we continue to add new resources to our website, and for daily updates in agricultural and food law, be sure to check the Center's Twitter account, Facebook page, and the Agricultural & Food Law Blog. We sincerely appreciate your interest in the Center, and welcome your input and suggestions on how best we can provide objective agricultural and food law research and information to stakeholders throughout the United States.
Sincerely,
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Mahalo, Ann Winfred
With great sadness, we share that our very dear friend and colleague Ann B. Winfred passed away on October 12, 2016. Ann was a highly valued Center colleague for over 15 years, but even more so, she was our friend.
There are too many memories and descriptions of Ann that come to mind to be able to write them all in one place. For some high points, she will always be remembered for her festive, brutally honest sense of humor and the tremendously soft heart she had for her friends. She never suffered fools lightly. She smoked cigarettes and drank pretty much whenever she wanted. Townes Van Zandt was one of her favorite artists, and she
hung out with the likes of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings on the side roads of Texas many, many years ago. She could always tell - or do something to make -- a good story.
After twenty years of living in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ann said "see you later" to island living and started the next part of her life journey in the Ozark Mountains. After the move, she began working at the Center in August of 2000, providing administrative support to the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) at a time when the AALA was housed at the Center. When AALA relocated, Ann rolled with the punches and became the Center's Publication and Information Specialist. In that role, she helped with virtually everything the Center did - editing publications, website planning, website development and updates, the Center's online newsletter, managing the Center's listserv, and much of the day-to-day business of the Center. The Center expanded tremendously during that time, and absolutely none of it would have been possible without her.
In April of 2011, Ann "retired" from the Center and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where she lived until just a few days ago. Knowing Ann, you can imagine her delight when among her retirement gifts was a large bottle of tequila and several packs of cigarettes stuffed into an Easter basket. She remarked something along the lines of "This should get me through most of the road trip to Texas." We all hugged and she told us "see you later" before pulling out of the restaurant parking lot to head out for Corpus Christi. A few months passed by and, fortunately, Ann began working for the Center again up until just a few days ago.
We are profoundly thankful to have known Ann, worked with her, and to have shared part of her great life journey. We will always miss Ann, and take solace in knowing that the happiness of remembering her overshadows the sadness of learning that she passed away.
Ann never liked to say "goodbye" and would instead part ways with something like "ta ta," "mahalo" or "see you later." Ann, we'll always remember you by all the good times and good laughs that we had. See you later, our friend. We'll miss you.
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The Ag & Food Law Update
The Ag & Food Law Update continues to provide a daily roundup of significant judicial, legislative and regulatory developments in agriculture. We recently launched an RSS feed option allowing followers to receive our regularly changing content.
The Ag & Food Law Blog also provides weekly updates from our Agricultural & Food Law Consortium partner, the
Center for Agricultural and Shale Law (CASL) at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. The Center posts both an Agricultural Law and Shale Law Weekly Review.
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Consortium News: Webinar Series
As part of its mission, the
Agricultural & Food Law Consortium
continues to host a series of webinars on numerous agricultural and food law topics. These webinars are freely available to the general public and are typically designed to be appropriate for both attorneys and non-attorneys.
Recent:
During this past quarter, three webinars were held for the general public. In June, private practice attorney Sharon Mattox discussed the Clean Water Act as it affects agriculture, including wetlands issues, 404 permits and the "WOTUS" rule. For more information on her presentation or to view a recording, click here.
The August webinar featured
Tiffany Dowell and
Shannon Ferrell. They addressed legal issues in leasing land for hunting, grazing and livestock. Their presentation is recorded
here.
Upcoming:
Three webinars are also scheduled for this current quarter. Two of them took place earlier this month. On October 10th, private practice attorney Kerry McGrath discussed compensatory mitigation, an important topic for landowners who engage in interactions with the federal government. For more information on her presentation, including a link to the recording, click
here.
Last week, Peggy Hall, head of
The Ohio State University Agricultural Law and Taxation Program, gave an overview of the different approaches states are taking to address water quality impacts from the surface application of agricultural nutrients. Her presentation is available
here.
On November 16, Lance Roasa, a lawyer and veterinarian in Nebraska, will be discussing the veterinary feed directive. Given the January compliance deadline for veterinarians, producers, and feed mills, his presentation will be both essential and timely! Check out our website next week for more information on his presentation.
In the coming year, the Consortium will continue to host monthly public webinars on topics that are important and/or timely to agricultural law. A listing of upcoming webinars and links to the archived records will remain available
here.
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American Agricultural Law Association
Center Senior Staff Attorney Elizabeth Rumley is a new member of the board of directors of the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA). The AALA is a professional organization of attorneys practicing in or otherwise involved in the area of agricultural law.
In her capacity on the board, Beth will be involved in governance and strategic planning for the organization, as well as planning for next year's annual conference, which will be held in Louisville, KY in October, 2017.
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Welcome, New Center Staff!
This summer, the Center welcomed several new research assistants, who have already been hard at work on various projects, including updating
state compilations currently available on the website. We are happy to introduce you to the newest members of our team:
Amie Alexander is a second-year law student at William H. Bowen School of Law of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is also pursuing a Master of Public Service degree through the Clinton School of Public Service, focusing in agriculture policy and rural development. After law school, Amie hopes to use her interest in policy and passion for agriculture in her future career.
Danielle Salton is a third-year law student at the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where she is an Articles Editor for the University of Memphis Law Review. Danielle's professional experience includes serving as an intern for Latino Memphis' Derechos program, student attorney for Community Legal Center's Immigrant Justice Program, and judicial law clerk to the Honorable Kathleen N. Gomes.
Kyle Weldon is a second-year law student at the Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from A&M in 2011 with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science, a Minor in Agricultural Economics, and a Certificate in Leadership Studies and Development from the School of Military Science. In 2013, Kyle went on to earn a Masters of Science in Animal Science from A&M, with an emphasis in beef cattle nutrition.
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Focus on Outreach
Center staff has given multiple presentations to a wide range of audiences over the past quarter. You can see some recent examples below. If you're interested in learning more about any of the topics below, or in having Center staff present at a conference or webinar you're sponsoring, please
contact us.
In-person presentations:
- Harrison Pittman took part in the "Welcome Home Tour" in Lonoke, AR (July 1) He gave a presentation to University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture colleagues about the NALC and its resources
- Harrison, Rusty Rumley and Beth Rumley attended the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Annual Conference in Lincoln, NE. They gave a legal roundtable discussion presentation.
- Harrison and Mark Camarigg attended a roundtable discussion on the Trans-Pacific Partnership at the Arkansas World Trade Center. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse addressed regional agriculture professionals on the proposed trade agreement.
- Harrison spoke at the annual meeting of the National Association of Conservation Districts, South Central Region, regarding legal issues in agriculture.
- Harrison and Beth discussed recent legal issues at the annual conference of the Mid-South Chapter of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
- Harrison met with the executive directors of the National Association of Conservation Districts to give an Agricultural Law Update on Conservation and Environmental Issues.
- Rusty gave an agricultural law update to the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Lake Tahoe, NV.
- Harrison, Rusty and Beth attended the USDA New Farmers and Land Tenure Fall Forum at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
- Beth spoke at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Conservation Agencies, in Branson, MO. She discussed conservation and environmental issues.
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