Category Archives: Seed Law

Overview of Seed Saving Laws

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I recently published a fact sheet focused on what farmers need to know about seed saving laws.  This is both important and complicated, so my hope is that this fact sheet will help farmers understand the different protections that may apply and help them know what questions to ask when purchasing or saving seed. To access the fact sheet, click here. To learn more about the law applicable to saving seed, check out this podcast episode I did with Joel Cape.

Breaking News: Syngenta Agrees to Settle MIR-162 Corn Lawsuits

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Today, parties to the GMO corn litigation pitting corn farmers against Syngenta announced they have reached a settlement in the various lawsuits around the country.  The parties have not announced settlement details, but Reuters News reports the amount to be approximately $1.5 billion. Although settlements must be approved by the court, the parties announced that they have reached a pending settlement agreement in the cases.  In a statement issued by both parties, they stated that “the proposed settlement would allow both sides to avoid the uncertainty of ongoing… Read More →

December 11, 2015 Weekly Round Up

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We have reached another Friday!  This week I was on the road to speak at the Swisher County Ag Day on the top legal developments in 2015.  Thanks to John Vialba and Glenda Gibson for all their hard work to put on a great event and for inviting me to participate.  For those of you interested in that topic, stay tuned next week for a blog recapping the year in ag law!  To those of you joining the blog from the Swisher County Ag Day, welcome! Here are… Read More →

August 28, 2015 Weekly Round Up

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Hard to believe we have reached the end of August!  Here are some of the ag law stories in the news this week. * Waters of the United States:  Where Are We Now?  I recently wrote an article for Progressive Cattleman Magazine discussing where things currently stand with the “Waters of the United States” controversy involving the EPA’s new rule defining the scope of the federal Clean Water Act.  To read the article, click here.  Just yesterday, a North Dakota federal judge issued a temporary injunction preventing the… Read More →

Seed Saving Law: What Farmers Need to Know

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I recently wrote an article for Progressive Forage Grower magazine providing an overview of seed saving law in the United States.  This is a legal issue that farmers need to understand and ensure they follow to avoid costly fines and litigation. Bowman v. Monsanto In 2012, an Indiana farmer, Vernon Hugh Bowman, found himself before the United States Supreme Court in a battle over his planting soybean seeds on his 65 acre farm.  The seeds he planted were produced by Monsanto and genetically modified to survive the spraying… Read More →