Category Archives: Mental Health

February 4, 2022 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday from the cold, snowy Texas Panhandle.  Here are a few of the ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. *United States Supreme Court to review Sackett v. EPA.  The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in Sackett v. EPA in order to answer a very important question under the Clean Water Act:  What is the proper tests for courts to use in determining whether a wetland is considered a Water of the United States?  The US Court of Appeals for the… Read More →

September 24, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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>Hello and Happy Friday!  We’re back with an Ag Law Weekly Round Up to catch you up on some of the ag law stories over the past month. *EPA Administrator discusses dicamba, WOTUS, and ag advisor.  Recently, EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, spoke at the NASDA national meeting.  He indicated that the EPA is currently working on a new version of the “waters of the United States” definition pursuant to the Clean Water Act, and he expects for the initial proposed draft to be released in November.  He did… Read More →

Farm & Ranch Families + Mental Health Podcast Episode

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September is National Suicide Prevention Month.  This is a topic that is very important to me, so I wanted to do a podcast episode discussing mental health in the agricultural context.  I was joined by Ted Matthews, a counselor who has spent his career working with farm and ranch families as Director of the Minnesota Rural Mental Health Specialists.  Ted offered some great insight about mental health on the farm.  To listen to our conversation, click here. Additionally, we’ve compiled a list of resources related to mental health… Read More →

Agriculture + Mental Health Awareness Month

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You may know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Because this is such an important issue, especially for those of us involved in agriculture, I wanted to share a podcast interview I did with Adrienne DeSutter. Adrienne’s background makes her perfect for this conversation.  Not only does she have a counseling degree, but she is also a farm wife who has spoken extensively about mental health and agriculture.  She joined me to talk about why this is such an issue for our industry, and some tips for… Read More →

February 26, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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Hello friends!  It’s been a wild couple of weeks here in Texas.  I appreciate all of you who reached out to check on my family and offer support during the crazy weather last week.  I am happy to report we all survived and were very happy to see the 60 degree temperatures this week!  Shelley Huguley compiled photos from producers around Texas showing the extent of the storm damage and it’s really heartbreaking to see the scope of damage to various agricultural producers.  To view her photos, click… Read More →

January 29, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  It’s been a busy week here as I have been working with several of my colleagues in the Texas A&M Agricultural Economics Department on a series of educational videos on the legal and economic issues related to hemp production. If this is a topic of interest to you, be sure you subscribe to this blog as we will be releasing our videos and written materials within the next month! Here are some of the ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks…. Read More →

September 25, 2020 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  Here are a few of the ag law stories in the news. * Sign up for CFAP 2 program begins.  The USDA has announced a Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, which will provide payments to qualifying farmers and ranchers.  The application period is open now through December 11.  Many of the main commodities in our area, including cattle, sheep, sorghum, wheat, cotton, and corn are eligible.  For more information and a full list of eligible commodities, click here.  Our District 1 economist, Dr. Justin Benavidez, recently… Read More →

National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Resources

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September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  This is an issue that is close to my heart and a topic on which rural America absolutely has to do better. Suicide rates are higher in rural America than in urban America, and that gap steadily increased between 1999 and 2015. In that time frame, the rate of suicide between Americans age 25-64 rose by 41%, with rates being 25% higher for those living in rural America. Those involved in agriculture have one of the highest suicide rates in the… Read More →

January 10, 2020 Weekly Round Up

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We’re here with our first Round Up of 2020!  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  Here are a few of the ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. *Man arrested for hauling marijuana, turns out it was legal hemp.  The Texas Tribune recently published a story about a man who was arrested for hauling what authorities suspected as being marijuana.  After testing was completed, it turns out that the plants were, as the man claimed, legal hemp.  [Read article here.]  A… Read More →

December 20, 2019 Weekly Round Up

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One last ag law fix before we head off into the Holidays!  Here are some of the ag law stories making news over the last couple of weeks. *WOTUS: The gift that keeps on giving.  As has become tradition around here, Shannon Ferrell and I close out the year writing about the current status of WOTUS.  If you’re curious where things currently stand, we’ve got you covered.  Just click here for our recent article in Southwest Farm Press. *Comment period for USDA Final Interim Hemp Rule extended.  The… Read More →