Each year, we take a look back at our most popular content across our various platforms.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash 

Texas Agriculture Law Blog

Drumroll please…our most popular blogs for 2025 were:

1. Motorcycle v. Cow Collision Results in Lawsuit.  Our most read blog post was a summary of the Eastland Court of Appeals opinion in Mullins v. McWhirter, a case involving questions of liability for a cattle owner when livestock escaped and were hit on the roadway resulting in the death of the plaintiff.  The opinion in this case offered a great summary of Texas fence law and included some landowner-friendly language related to the requirements for a plaintiff to prove an owner “knowingly permitted” livestock to run at large.
2. Lawsuits, Disaster Declaration After PFAS Contaminates Farms in Johnson County, TX.  It was no surprise to see this blog post on the list.  It has been the topic of significant news coverage across the country and was included as a session at our American Agricultural Law Conference this year as well.  Several lawsuits have been filed involving PFAS contamination on farms in Johnson County.  Plaintiffs claim the contamination was caused by biosolid fertilizer stored and applied on neighboring land.  The biosolid company disputes that claim and has expert reports claiming the contamination did not come from the fertilizer. In addition to the blog post, we also had a podcast episode this year on this topic with Jason Hill.
3. Texas Supreme Court:  Produced Water Conveys to Mineral Lessee.  In what was certainly the most important decision related to agricultural law this year, the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating comes in at #3 on the list. This case raised the question of ownership of produced water–a critical issue for landowners and oil and gas companies as well.  The Supreme Court ruled that when a mineral lease is in place, absent language to the contrary, the rights to produced water convey to the mineral lessee.  Do note another lawsuit has been filed between the same parties involving COG’s use and sale of produced water.  To hear more, check out our podcast episode with Jim Bradbury.
4. USDA Releases 2025 Cash Rent Data.  Every year, we do a blog post providing the results of the United States Department of Agriculture NASS report on average cash rent data around the country.  This report offers insight for landowners and lessees of average cash lease rates broken out by state, region, and even county.  For those of you interested in the topic of lease rates and land values, also check out our blog post on the Texas Rural Land Value Trends report.
5. Transfer on Death Deeds.  This is an oldie but a goodie!  For the second year in a row, our blog post explaining Transfer on Death Deeds here in Texas has made the top 5.  This post is a practical explanation of what these deeds are, how they function, and how they can be a beneficial part of an estate plan. We also have a great podcast episode on this topic.

Lastly, be sure you are subscribed to our Texas Agriculture Law Blog.  Not only will this ensure you receive all blog posts directly in your email inbox, but new for 2026, you will also receive our Monthly Featured Resource newsletter!

Ag Law in the Field Podcast

Our most downloaded podcast episodes for 2025 were:

1. #191 Jim Bradbury and Jesse Richardson (Final Ag Law Lessons from Yellowstone).  When we put Jim and Jesse together, it was no surprise that everyone ran to listen!  This was a really fun episode where we discussed the ag law issues we saw in the final season of the hit tv show, Yellowstone.  If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out our first podcast episode discussion of ag law in Yellowstone.
2. #194 Dr. Blake Bennett (Protesting Your Property Taxes Part 1).  I knew when Dr. Bennett agreed to come on the podcast for this topic, we would have a hit on our hands!  If you want to understand how property taxes are calculated, what it means to protest, and a step-by-step walk through of how to successfully protest your taxes, we have the episodes for you!  Be sure you don’t miss Part 2 of this discussion in Episode 195.
3. #209 Lynn Sherman and Jim Bradbury (Texas Groundwater Law Update).  You want a hot topic of discussion?  Texas groundwater law is it!  On this episode, I was joined by two great Texas water lawyers to discuss the various hot topics in Texas groundwater law, policy implications, and where they see things going next.
4. #206  Dr. Justin Benavidez (What the Big Beautiful Bill Means for Agriculture). The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included a number of provisions related to agriculture.  Lucky for us, we were able to catch Dr. Justin Benavidez to sit down with us and explain what the bill meant for ag producers.
5. #193 Parks Brown (Pore Space Legal Issues).  We round out the top 5 with a discussion related to energy production, landowner rights, and pore space with Parks Brown.  This is an interesting and emerging area of the law, and Parks gave us a great overview of the various projects and legal issues involved.

Professional Highlights of 2025

When I sat down to review everything we did in 2025, two professional highlights were clearly the most meaningful to me.

First, the opportunity to testify before the United States House Committee on Agriculture was an experience I will not soon forget.  I am extremely grateful to Ranking Member, Angie Craig, for the invitation, and to all of my friends and colleagues who helped me prepare for my testimony.  You can read about my experience here.

Second, I am thrilled to be the President-Elect for the American Agricultural Law Association this year.  I am already busy working on putting together the conference planning committee for our annual conference in Dallas, TX on November 5-7, 2026.  Joining the AALA is the best thing I did for my career, and I credit this organization with both finding my job as well as bringing me some of my best friends.  If you are an ag lawyer, plan to join us in Dallas in November!

New Resources 

Thanks to my team who works so hard to keep everything organized and rolling around here, we were able to release a number of new resources this year.  Here are a few of our most popular.

1. Wildfire: Preparing the Ranch.  I was proud of be a part of this publication, which featured lead-author Dr. Morgan Treadwell.  After living through the Smokehouse Creek Fire, I understand even more the importance of having your operation prepared in the event a wildfire strikes.  This practical publication addresses a wide variety of issues from forage management to landscaping to insurance considerations.
2. Texas Haying Lease Checklist.  Folks frequently contact me looking for information on what they should include in a haying lease.  We wanted to help, so we drafted our Texas Haying Lease Checklist.  This publication is a great place to start if you are entering into a haying lease.
3. Carbon resources.  One of my largest projects of the year was creating a suite of carbon-related resources with my friend and colleague at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Jordan Shockley.  We really enjoyed the chance to work together and create important content  involving carbon markets and contracts for landowners.  Whether you are already enrolled, or have no desire to do so, our resources provide great information to help you understand what is going on in this space.
4. Landlocked Property Law in Texas.  Landlocked property may be my most frequently asked question, and it certainly is an area where people are often mis-informed about Texas law.  This fact sheet explains Texas law when it comes to landlocked property and the five ways a person may seek access.
5. How to Find an Agricultural Lawyer.  This fact sheet came out of another popular question we field, and that is, how do I find an agricultural lawyer?  I wish the answer were easier for folks, but we have some great places to start highlighted in this fact sheet!

Thank You

In conclusion, I want to take a moment to say thank you.  To all of you who read the Texas Agriculture Law Blog, listen to the Ag Law in the Field Podcast, attend our live programs, and otherwise support our work, we so appreciate you!  To our sponsors who make our work possible, we are extremely grateful for your belief in us.  Finally, to the Texas Agriculture Law Team–Lacrecia and Karli–I know your work is behind the scenes, but I hope everyone knows if they appreciate anything I do, they appreciate you making it all possible!