There are a number of considerations that a person should undertake when preparing to burn brush piles in Texas.  From reviewing and understanding applicable Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulations, to investigating any local outdoor burning rules and regulations, to evaluating the weather forecast, to preparing a safe area to burn, there is a long list of action items prior to lighting the brush piles on fire. I recently co-authored a fact sheet on this topic with Dr. Morgan Treadwell, Extension Range Specialist in San Angelo and Chase… Read More →

Article written by Kay Ledbetter, published in Texas A&M AgriLife Today The Outstanding Extension Program Award for Project was presented to the Ranchers Leasing Workshop Team at the Western Agricultural Economics Association, WAEA, virtual awards ceremony recently. The AgriLife Extension team consists of Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, agriculture law specialist, Amarillo; and Greg Kaase, Ph.D., agricultural economist and risk management specialist, and Emmy Kiphen, program specialist, both of College Station. WAEA includes over 600 members, primarily from the western U.S. and Canada, who are professional economists working in academic institutions, government agencies… Read More →

On April 17, 2020, President Trump announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), designed to provide funding to partner with regional and local distributors to purchase fresh produce, dairy, and meat products and to provide direct support to agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and to assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19. On May 19, 2020, the USDA released details of the direct support programs.  The… Read More →

After having to postpone two of our Spring events, we are excited to announce the dates for three upcoming Owning Your Piece of Texas programs this fall.  We appreciate your flexibility and patience with us during this time. Our remaining 2020 events will be:  Conroe (August 20); Burnet (September 15); Seguin (October 7). These day-long events focus on the key legal issues facing rural landowners and agricultural producers.  To find more information or to register, please click here. We will be looking forward to seeing you this fall!… Read More →

Like just about everything else, our Ranchers Leasing Workshop events were impacted by COVID-19. We have re-grouped and worked with our County Extension Agents to determine new dates for our postponed events.  We appreciate your patience and flexibility with us. The remaining events for 2020 will be:  Brenham (August 18); Fredericksburg (September 14); Abilene (September 29) and Leming (October 6).  Note that Leming will be the location of our event previously scheduled in LaVernia. To get more information or to register, please click here.  As always, feel free… Read More →

Last year, we rolled out our newest program, Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know to record-breaking crowds across the state.  The program focuses on providing practical, understandable education to Texas landowners and agricultural producers on the key laws they need to know.  Programs will cover topics like fence law, water law, landowner liability, eminent domain, and more.  These programs are designed to benefit both new and experienced landowners, and those on the farm as well as absentee landowners. We are excited to… Read More →

Each December, we look back at the biggest ag law developments for the year.  It was another busy year in the agricultural law realm.  Here were some of the key stories. Also, if you’d like to listen to Paul Goeringer and I discuss these issues and more, be sure to check out our 2019 Ag Law Year in Review podcast episode here. Hemp. The big story for 2019 is hemp.  The 2018 Farm Bill paved the way for legal hemp production in the United States.  Most individual states… Read More →