UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Dec. 16, 2022, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State Law in University Park presented the most-recent webinar in a series launched earlier this year titled, "Understanding Agricultural Law: A Legal Educational Series for General Practice Attorneys and Business Advisors Representing Agricultural and Rural Clients."
This webinar series was created through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center. Through the center’s partnership with PDA’s Agricultural Business Development Center, each monthly webinar provides one, free, substantive hour of continuing legal education (CLE) credit for Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys.
“The center’s outreach through the webinar series is a great opportunity for attorneys to share and learn new information state-wide,” said Victor Romero, interim dean of Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, Maureen B. Cavanaugh distinguished faculty scholar, and professor of law.
The center has specifically tailored the Understanding Agricultural Law webinar series to deliver subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys, advisors, and service providers for agricultural producers and agri-businesses. While the center plans to offer more in-depth courses later in the series, the first sequence of webinars, "Understanding the Basics," focuses on introductory issues in agricultural law.
Ross Pifer, director of the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law and of the Rural Economic Development Clinic said, “In today’s environment, an agricultural operation will not be successful unless it receives effective legal counsel. Since the agricultural industry is subjected to many unique statutes and regulations, it can be a challenge for attorneys to keep up to date with these requirements. The Understanding Agricultural Law program is designed to provide private attorneys with the information and resources that they need to represent these agricultural clients.”
Webinars to date have included:
- Understanding the Basics of Agricultural Labor Laws (April 29, 2022);
- Leasing Farmland for Energy Development (May 20, 2022);
- Local Land Use Regulation of Agriculture (June 24, 2022);
- Statutory Protections for Agricultural Operations (July 22, 2022);
- Agricultural Cooperatives (Aug. 26, 2022);
- Livestock Market Regulation (Sept. 23, 2022);
- Crop Insurance (Oct. 21, 2022);
- Federal & State Conservation Programs (Nov. 18, 2022); and
- Licensing & Regulation of Direct Agricultural Product Sales (Dec. 16, 2022).
“We have received a tremendous response from Pennsylvania attorneys to this new program. We hope that moving forward, this program will continue to be an indispensable resource for all attorneys who represent agricultural clients in Pennsylvania,” said Pifer.
Upcoming webinars in the series include Understanding the Basics of Agricultural Finance on Friday, January 27, 2023, and Pennsylvania’s “Clean & Green” Preferential Tax Assessment Program on Friday, February 24, 2023.
Students, faculty, alumni, and anyone interested in understanding the basics of agricultural law are welcome to attend free of charge. Registration for future webinars is available here.
Established as part of the 2019 Pennsylvania Farm Bill, the Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC) supports:
- Farm Transitions, linking farmers to the next phase of their life and their farm’s future;
- Beginning Farmers, providing advice and counsel to the next generation of agricultural producers;
- Risk Management, providing information on crop insurance and other opportunities for risk management; and
- Financial Assistance, connecting farmers with low-interest loan options and reimbursable grant programs.
The ABDC seeks to build the “ag literacy” and competency of the existing network of legal, engineering, accounting, and other disciplines of business advisors available to farmers.
The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducts agricultural and shale law research and outreach activities with a specific focus on those issues of importance in Pennsylvania. Through its programs, the center serves a wide variety of stakeholders including agricultural producers, landowners and royalty owners, business professionals, judges, attorneys, legislators, government officials, NGOs, community groups, and the general public. Center programs are funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and supported by multi-year grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.