Texas producers who have a valid agricultural and timber registration number for sales tax exemptions must renew those numbers by December 31, 2023. Texas farmers, ranchers, and timber producers are exempt from paying sales taxes on products used in the course of their agricultural or timber production. Qualifying activities include farming, ranching, fiber production, timber production (including contract logging), operating feedlots or fish farms, bee keeping, custom harvesting, crop dusting, growing plants for commercial nurseries, veterinary businesses making farm or ranch calls, FFA or 4-H projects, and those… Read More →

How better to celebrate the week of Thanksgiving than by taking a look at a lawsuit involving tofurkey? In October, Turtle Island Foods (“The Tofurkey Company”) and the Plant Based Foods Association filed and Amended Complaint in a  lawsuit against the State of Texas claiming that the newly enacted Texas meat labeling law is unconstitutional. Turtle Island Foods SPC v. Abbott was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. [Read Amended Complaint here.] Do note that this blog post outlines the claims… Read More →

A California family has filed a lawsuit challenging actions of a county fair association and law enforcement officers after an exhibitor tried to avoid selling her animal at a junior livestock show.  [Read Second Amended Complaint here.] Please note that all of the facts below were taken from the Second Amended Complaint for Damages.  The Defendants have not yet filed a response. Background E.L. (name protected as she is a minor child) owned a goat named Cedar.  She purchased the goat in April 2022 and cared for him… Read More →

*NOTE:  Texas voters overwhelmingly (79%) voted in favor of Proposition 1.* On November 7, 2023, Texas voters will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition 1, which would establish the right to farming, ranching, timber production, and wildlife management into the Texas Constitution.   Background During the 88th Legislative Session, Texas lawmakers passed House Joint Resolution 126 (HJR 126). It is the language from this HJR that Texas voters will cast their ballots for or against in November.  HJR 126 reads as follows:   SECTION 1.  Article I, Texas Constitution,… Read More →

In September, we will be hitting the road to host our final live Ranchers Leasing Workshop, Where’s the Beef Program, and Owning Your Piece of Texas Programs for 2023.  Each of these are award-winning programs that focus on offering practical information to rural landowners and agricultural producers.  We hope you’ll join us! Ranchers Leasing Workshop Our final Ranchers Leasing Workshop for 2023 will be in Decatur on September 13.  This half-day program is focused particularly on grazing and hunting leases.  Topics include why leasing land (as a landowner… Read More →

Last week, the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion in Helena Chemical Co. v. Cox, a case pitting cotton farmers against an aerial herbicide applicator. [Read opinion here.] Background Plaintiffs grow cotton in Mitchell County, Texas.  They allege that defendant, Helena Chemical Company (“Helena”), supervised aerial application of Sendero, a herbicide primarily used to kill mesquite trees, on the Spade Ranch.  Plaintiffs claim that the Sendero sprayed on the Spade Ranch over several days in 2015 and 2016 drifted and damaged their cotton crops.  They blame this drift for… Read More →

In January, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released specific details on a change to how certain antibiotics for animal use may be purchased.  As of June 11, 2023, a number of veterinary antibiotics considered “medically important antimicrobials” previously sold over the counter will require a veterinary prescription in order to purchase.  Here are answers to some common questions surrounding this new rule. What is the new rule?  The Food and Drug Administration’s CVM GIF #263 makes changes to the availability of certain over the counter antibiotics for… Read More →

You may recall this time last year, Dr. Justin Benavidez and I were working hard to get Texas landowners and ag producers to respond to our survey on land ownership.  This project was funded by the Texas Corn Producers.  We were thrilled that nearly 650 people responded.  To those of you included in that number, thank you! Thanks to the data set we had to work with, we were able to catch an interesting glimpse and insight into rural land ownership in Texas.  We are excited to have… Read More →