Leading issues surrounding agriculture and the environment.
The Schroeder Ag Blog addresses issues facing farmers, ranchers, and businesses involved with crops, livestock, dairy, and meat production.
The Indiana Court of Appeals just issued an opinion holding that a neighbor did not have “standing” to appeal variances because he did not show he was “aggrieved.” This case could be important for farmers whose neighbors want to appeal a zoning approval.
Read MoreLast week I drove to beautiful Monroe County, Indiana to present at an Indiana Winery and Vineyard Association annual meeting. We met at Creekbend Vineyard, Oliver Winery's commitment to producing wine from Indiana-grown grapes.
Read MoreCrop share agreements are more flexible than the fixed cash rent lease. There are benefits and drawbacks to this type of farm contract, including tax liability and risk allocation.
Read MoreA cash rent lease is a fixed agreement in which a landowner receives a fixed payment from the farmer to rent the farmland. There are pros and cons to this most widely used farm lease.
Read MoreI gave a presentation about farm leases this week to a national group of attorneys. I'm sharing some of my presentation here on the blog in case it can help our clients and friends when negotiating their own leases.
Read MoreAs of 2018, grape growers are required to adhere to the Food Safety Modernization Act ("FSMA") Produce Rule if they sell grapes to wineries. However, most grape growers will qualify for an exemption.
Read MoreOn April 26, 2018, a North Carolina jury awarded 10 plaintiffs a total of $50 million in punitive damages and $750,000 in compensatory damages for damages allegedly caused by a nearby hog farm. What does this mean for other livestock producers?
Read MoreThe 2018 federal omnibus spending bill fixed the problem caused by a federal court regarding air emissions reporting requirements for livestock operations.
Read MoreRecently we've seen a few counties consider blocking livestock development. But barring the construction of of livestock farms in rural areas often is legally suspect.
Read MoreI recently attended a whole hog butchering class here in Indianapolis, which closed the gap between farmer, butcher, and consumer.
Read MoreThe U.S. Cattlemen's Association recently filed a petition asking the USDA to issue a formal definition of "beef" as meat derived from cattle. This has set off a battle over labels with makers of lab-grown "clean meat" and plant-based meat substitutes. So just what is "beef"?
Read MoreSpecialty crops, like hops farms, deserve special attention. This post explains three important tasks a new or established hops farm should complete to ensure it is well-protected.
Read MoreOn January 19, 2018, the EPA requested another 90-day delay to the federal air emissions reporting requirement under CERCLA. The Court granted the request, extending the effective date of the mandate until at least May 1, 2018.
Read MoreOn January 16, 2018, the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a county decision to allow a dairy to build a new farm in rural Rush County. The Court rejected arguments made by a nearby camp that the dairy's special exception would violate its religious rights.
Read MoreIndiana is leading a group of states in a lawsuit against Massachusetts over a new livestock and poultry law requiring any pork, veal, or eggs sold in the state to be derived from animals raised with space to turn around and lie down without touching an enclosure.
Read MoreA federal court stayed the mandate requiring many livestock producers to report air emissions from manure until January 22, 2018. We are awaiting further guidance from EPA. In the meantime, here is what others are saying.
Read MoreLivestock producers are not yet required to report air emissions under the Clean Air Act, but that will soon change. On January 22, 2018, this new obligation for farms is expected to take effect.
Read MoreOn December 14, 2017, a farmer group filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's rollback of two controversial GIPSA rules intended to protect individual farmers.
Read MoreI recently read an article called "Do You Care If Your Fish Dinner Was Raised Humanely?". It got me thinking: was aquaculture the next industry to be targeted by animal activists? All signs point to yes.
Read MoreThe past 365 days have been a wild ride, complete with major changes to federal programs relied on by farmers and ag businesses. Four federal stories dominated 2017: WOTUS, NAFTA, GIPSA, and Air Emissions.
Read MoreLast year the standard for review for administrative decisions was upended (Indiana and federal level). Recently our Court of Appeals explained that this change does not apply to zoning appeals.
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I asked Chat GPT to draft a farmland lease. Here are the results and my analysis.