Leading issues surrounding livestock production.
The Schroeder Ag Blog addresses issues facing farmers, ranchers, and businesses involved with livestock, dairy, and meat production.
The Obama administration announced new overtime rules effective December 1, 2016. In the past, farmers generally have assumed they did not need to worry about overtime rules because of the federal agriculture exemption. This still holds true for the most part, but farms and businesses should understand how the agriculture exemption works and what the new overtime rules mean for a farm.
Read MorePesticide drift is the unintentional application of pesticide or herbicide. Pesticide drift can become a problem if the pesticide contacts an area or crop susceptible to the particular substance being used. There are several steps a farmer can take to prevent pesticide drift, and steps to be taken after pesticide drift allegedly already has occurred.
Read MoreProgressive discipline attempts to address and correct an employee’s work performance by providing feedback through a series of increasingly formal steps. Large and small employers can use this method to increase employee productivity and minimize legal exposure for wrongful termination.
Read MoreThe Association for Vertical Farming is preparing sustainability standards for urban and vertical farming. Vertical farming presents an attractive option for growing certain vegetables, tomatoes, and herbs on less ground with less water. I think of vertical farming like skyscrapers in a big city--building up instead of out. Vertical farming can provide an intensive growing method in urban areas, offering higher yields and moving the food closer to the people who consume it.
Read MoreSales agreements are everywhere. We enter into them to purchase just about everything. There are online agreements to click through, prefilled generic forms to sign, and custom agreements put together specifically for the sale at hand. Some purchases are made according to “adhesion contracts”—either the buyer signs the form contract offered by the seller, or she doesn’t make the purchase. Some agreements are still made on a handshake basis, despite the pitfalls accompanying an oral contract. In any agreement, both parties—buyer and seller—should enter the contract with their eyes wide open. Signing a contract without reading it can lead to major consequences down the road.
Read MoreGene editing (GE) is a game-changer for those in science, agriculture, or really for anyone who eats food. Heat, disease, and drought resistant cattle, corn, pigs, and barley are already in the works. They are a way forward for farmers trying to feed our growing population in a changing climate. Right now the EU is struggling to decide how to regulate GE organisms--by reviewing the product, or by asking questions about the creation of the product. I think the EU--and the US--should follow Canada's lead and should regulate GE organisms based on the actual product.
Read MoreLarge produce growers are bringing the farm indoors. Companies are using vertical farming, LED-lighting, and high-tech data collection systems to grow food in greenhouses, in office buildings, and even in paintball arenas. This is one of the next big things in agriculture and it can help answer two questions: (1) How are we going to feed a growing population, expected to increase to 9 or 10 billion by 2050? (2) How can agricultural companies satisfy consumers’ demand for affordable locally-grown produce?
Read MoreCraft beers are more popular today than ever before. The demand for hops is high, but most production occurs in the Pacific Northwest. Due to rising prices and a focus on local ingredients, Midwestern farmers are trying their hand at growing hops. Starting a hops farm here in the Midwest has big potential payoffs, but the costs can be significant. Farmers should make plans for the hardware, labor, and legal requirements to enter this growing agricultural market.
Read MoreWe are seeing a changing workforce in today's agriculture. More women have ownership roles in our farms and processing companies. Farms and agribusinesses should be aware of the employment laws that apply to them and should actively manage their workforce to maximize potential and minimize legal liability.
Read Morehe federal government (specifically the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau or "TTB") has designated 2,000,000 acres in southern Indiana as a viticultural area, to be called the "Indiana Uplands." The soil, climate, and topography in this designated area are conducive for growing great wine grapes.
Read MoreA stroll down the egg aisle at any grocery store blasts the eyes with seemingly endless options. Cage free! Vegetarian fed! Free range! Brown eggs! Pasture grown! Organic! What's a consumer to do? This post examines what cage free means.
Read MoreThe recent normalization of relations between the US and Cuba presents tech opportunities for US companies ready to export products, services, and know how.
Read MoreUnited States and Cuba officials are wrapping up an historic set of meetings in Havana that will lead to increased economic opportunity for agricultural producers in both countries.
Read MoreThe USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services just announced new guidance for extension requests for genetically engineered organisms. What does this mean for the public? Hopefully, it will lead to shorter review times, flexibility in extension requests, and more predictability from the government review processes. This should mean more innovation and less red tape.
Read MoreA UK company has genetically modified a line of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and released them into the wild. These are the pests responsible for the zika virus outbreak currently ravaging Central and South America and a few western African countries. Can genetic modification stop the spread of this nasty disease?
Read MoreThe FDA is extending the period to receive comments on the use of the term “natural” in the labeling of human food products, including foods that are genetically engineered or contain ingredients produced through genetic engineering.
Read MoreThe governmental response to genetically-edited animals is and will continue to be a key consideration. This post explores existing and proposed regulations and laws affecting genetically-edited animals.
Read MoreHornless dairy cattle, mosquitoes resistant to malaria, mice cured of muscular dystrophy, PRRS-resistant pigs, fast-growing salmon, livestock that require less food and have less of an environmental footprint—these are just a few examples of advantages created by the new technological tool known as gene editing.
Read MoreThis year will bring increased technology, international trade, and innovation in the agricultural world. Here are my top ten trends to watch in 2016.
Read MoreThe tomato is the most widely-grown vegetable in the United States. Almost everyone who has a garden has at least one tomato plant. According to the USDA, the United States is second only to China in tomato production.
Read MoreOn April 16, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that property owners could pursue their federal inverse condemnation claims against the State of Texas through the existing state law.
Todd Janzen will speak at the American Dairy Science Association's 46th Discover Conference (DC46).
Brianna Schroeder will be a featured speaker at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit.
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