Recently, I was invited by Monty Edwards to be on his You Tube show called Windmill Wisdom. It was really fun to sit down with some experts in different areas to talk about various agricultural issues.  I’m so grateful to Monty for hosting this show. First, Monty interviewed Benjamin Needham, Rhett Kirby, and me for an episode titled “Preserving the Legacy of Texas Lands.”  Ben is a Registered Landman and Rhett is a Natural Resource Consultant.  We had a great conversation on a host of issues including surface… Read More →

A recent decision from the Austin Court of Appeals in Bailey v. Smith, is important for many Texas landowners involved in the business of raising deer.  This case addressed the issue of whether breeder deer–raised by persons with the required TPWD permit–are considered private property of the deer breeder or are owned by the State. One note here–this case also addressed a number of other technical legal issues such as sovereign immunity, ultra vires action of state officials, and attorney’s fees awards.  This blog post will not discuss these… Read More →

*Update:  In October, the USDA withdrew this plan, removing the Fact Sheet from its website.*  In April, the USDA announced it will be making changes to the mandatory Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program concerning the type of ear tags that may be used in beef cattle, dairy cattle, and bison.  [View Factsheet here.] Keep in mind that this blog post addresses only the federal regulations applicable to interstate transport of livestock.  State-specific rules apply to intrastate transport and many states may have import requirements for livestock from other… Read More →

Have you ever wondered what the going rate is in your area for custom farm work like hauling hay or harvesting wheat?  The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Ag Economics Unit has a helpful publication. The 2018 Texas Agricultural Custom Rates Report is now available.  This report is based upon survey responses gathered from farmers, ranchers, and other landowners across Texas.  The report divides Texas into four quadrants and then provides survey results for each.  The type of work included in the survey ranges from tractor rental to application… Read More →

We’re excited to announce a new educational program for Texas landowners and ag producers, “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Top Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know”.  These programs will offer information to landowners on a variety of topics like water law, landowner liability, eminent domain, fence law, easements, special use tax valuation, and more!   Each program will last from 9am-3pm and will include lunch sponsored by Ag Workers Insurance. Presenters will include Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Extension Ag Law Specialist, who will be joined by a local attorney… Read More →

This article was published in Progressive Cattleman’s April issue. In a difficult time for agriculture, when producers are already facing low commodity prices and trade uncertainty, many livestock producers may also have to be concerned about the potential impact of something else in the coming years: California voters. In November 2018, California voters passed Proposition 12 with 59% of the vote.  This ballot initiative prohibits California businesses from knowingly selling veal, pork, shell eggs, or liquid eggs, that were produced by animals “confined in a cruel manner.”  The… Read More →

Ranchers Leasing Workshop is now available on demand to be taken anytime at your own pace. To register click here. The Ranchers Leasing Workshop programs are my most popular events of the year.  To date, we have had over 850 Texans attend these half-day seminars and 100% of them would recommend this program to a friend.  We focus on legal issues related to grazing, hunting and livestock leases, including why leases should be in writing, how to determine the payment structure and rate, key terms to include, and… Read More →

We are thrilled to announce that our Ag Law in the Field Podcast has been named to the Web 100 list of the best online legal resources by the American Bar Association.  Only 20 podcasts were selected, so we are very honored and excited to be included. To read more about this recognition and the Podcast, click here. Listening to the Ag Law in the Field Podcast is easy!  You can do so online by simply clicking this link.  Once you’re on the Podcast page, you can just select… Read More →