**NOTE:  Due to the COVID-19 situation, several of these dates have changed.  For the most up-to-date information, click here.**  Ranchers Leasing Workshop is now available on demand to be taken anytime at your own pace. To register click here. We are so excited to continue offering our Ranchers Leasing Workshops around the state in 2020.   Dr. Greg Kaase and I will be hitting the road and hosting 5 workshops in 2020.   These half-day programs feature information on grazing, livestock, and hunting leases; economic resources available through Texas… Read More →

Let me start out with a disclaimer here:  I am by no means a family lawyer.  This was the one area of law I knew I did not want to practice when I went to law school.  That said, I’ve seen this issue come up a couple of times and it involves cattle, so it seems important to include on an ag law blog. Texas is a community property state.  Property can be categorized as separate or community.  Separate property is property that one spouse brought into the… Read More →

Recently, I was invited by Monty Edwards to be on his You Tube show called Windmill Wisdom. It was really fun to sit down with some experts in different areas to talk about various agricultural issues.  I’m so grateful to Monty for hosting this show. First, Monty interviewed Benjamin Needham, Rhett Kirby, and me for an episode titled “Preserving the Legacy of Texas Lands.”  Ben is a Registered Landman and Rhett is a Natural Resource Consultant.  We had a great conversation on a host of issues including surface… Read More →

A recent decision from the Austin Court of Appeals in Bailey v. Smith, is important for many Texas landowners involved in the business of raising deer.  This case addressed the issue of whether breeder deer–raised by persons with the required TPWD permit–are considered private property of the deer breeder or are owned by the State. One note here–this case also addressed a number of other technical legal issues such as sovereign immunity, ultra vires action of state officials, and attorney’s fees awards.  This blog post will not discuss these… Read More →

*Update:  In October, the USDA withdrew this plan, removing the Fact Sheet from its website.*  In April, the USDA announced it will be making changes to the mandatory Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program concerning the type of ear tags that may be used in beef cattle, dairy cattle, and bison.  [View Factsheet here.] Keep in mind that this blog post addresses only the federal regulations applicable to interstate transport of livestock.  State-specific rules apply to intrastate transport and many states may have import requirements for livestock from other… Read More →

Have you ever wondered what the going rate is in your area for custom farm work like hauling hay or harvesting wheat?  The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Ag Economics Unit has a helpful publication. The 2018 Texas Agricultural Custom Rates Report is now available.  This report is based upon survey responses gathered from farmers, ranchers, and other landowners across Texas.  The report divides Texas into four quadrants and then provides survey results for each.  The type of work included in the survey ranges from tractor rental to application… Read More →

We’re excited to announce a new educational program for Texas landowners and ag producers, “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Top Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know”.  These programs will offer information to landowners on a variety of topics like water law, landowner liability, eminent domain, fence law, easements, special use tax valuation, and more!   Each program will last from 9am-3pm and will include lunch sponsored by Ag Workers Insurance. Presenters will include Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Extension Ag Law Specialist, who will be joined by a local attorney… Read More →

This article was published in Progressive Cattleman’s April issue. In a difficult time for agriculture, when producers are already facing low commodity prices and trade uncertainty, many livestock producers may also have to be concerned about the potential impact of something else in the coming years: California voters. In November 2018, California voters passed Proposition 12 with 59% of the vote.  This ballot initiative prohibits California businesses from knowingly selling veal, pork, shell eggs, or liquid eggs, that were produced by animals “confined in a cruel manner.”  The… Read More →