Newly Designed Ranchers Agriculture Leasing Handbook Available

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Thanks to the hard work from our Digital Education Team at Texas A&M, we are excited to show you our newly designed Ranchers Agriculture Leasing Handbook.  While the content is almost completely the same as the prior version, this new publication is significantly improved from a design standpoint. This handbook is written for landowners or tenants interested in learning more about lease agreements, including how to set a price, what terms should be considered, and more.  The handbook focuses on grazing, hunting, and livestock leases.  There is also… 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 →

Court Addresses Property Line Dispute Involving Fence and 100-Year Old Agreement

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The El Paso Court of Appeals recently considered Eggemeyer v. Hughes, a case involving a disputed boundary line.  At issue was a 100-year old agreement regarding the proper boundary line that referred to certain mesquite trees and rock piles, a fence line drawn on a decades-old survey, and the ownership of 90 acres of land.  [Read opinion here.] Background This case involves a dispute over a fence in Reagan County depicted in the 1939 survey map below.  Hughes owns Section 7 and Section 8.  The Eggemeyers own Sections 3… Read More →

Texas Supreme Court Addresses Whether Emails Constitute a Contract

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In 2020, the Texas Supreme Court decided two cases related to an important question:  Can a series of emails constitute a legally binding, written contract as required by the Statute of Frauds?  Today, we will look at one of these cases, Copano Energy, LLC v. Bujnoch. Given the prevalence of email in today’s society, this case offers important lessons to keep in mind. Background Plaintiffs own land in Lavaca and Dewitt Counties.  In 2011, they granted 30′ easements to Copano for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a… Read More →

February 12, 2021 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  It seems like the entire state of Texas is preparing for winter weather this weekend.  I hope you all stay safe and warm.  I want to welcome those of you joining from my recent programs in El Campo and Robstown.  We’re glad you are here! Here are some of the ag law stories in the news the past couple of weeks. *Claims period open for soybean farmers who were injured by dicamba drift in 2015-2020.  Soybean farmers around the country may be eligible to make a… Read More →

New Fact Sheet: On-Site Brush Pile Burning in Texas

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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 →

USDA Releases Final Rule for the Domestic Production of Hemp

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On January 15, 2021, the USDA released the Final Rule for the Domestic Production of Hemp (“Final Rule”). [Read Final Rule here.]  Importantly, this rule does not go into effect until March 22, 2021.  The Biden administration has announced that it will review a number of rules that have been published in the Federal Register, but have not yet gone into effect, including in the Final Rule.   Therefore, this blog post summarizes the Final Rule as it was published in the Federal Register by the Trump Administration. You… 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 →

Case Addresses Solar Lease, Mineral Owner, and the Accommodation Doctrine

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The El Paso Court of Appeals addressed an interesting and important issue recently in Lyle v. Midway Solar.  How does Texas law apply when there is a potential conflict between the operation of a large scale solar facility and the ability of the mineral owner to extract oil or gas? Background This dispute involves a 315-acre tract of land in Pecos County. The Lyles own 27.5% of the mineral rights to this land by virtue of a 1948 deed.  There is no current mineral lease on the property, and the… Read More →

Fence Law Webinar and Interview

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Fence law is one of my favorite topics.  If you own or lease land, this is likely a topic that interests you as well!  I’ve recently had a couple of opportunities to chat about fence law and I wanted to share those with you. First, I was invited to present on Texas Fence Law for the TAMU AgriLife Extension Range Webinar Series.  This presentation focuses specifically on fence law in the Lone Star State.  To watch, click here. Second, I was a guest on my friend Cari Rincker’s… Read More →