Heirs’ Property Relending Program and Additional Opportunities to Mitigate Land Loss

Brooke Christy is a 3L at University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a guest contributor to this blog. Heirs’ property (sometimes referred to as heir property) is a term that refers to land that has been informally passed to two or more descendants without a will or deed to prove ownership. When this occurs over several generations, it becomes…

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Maximizing the Impact of the Working Lands Programs for Climate Change Mitigation and Equity

Alex Sadzewicz is a student at the University of Maryland Francis K. Carey School of Law. Nathan McMullen is a student at the University of Maryland College Park. They are both guest contributors to this blog. The Environment Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are the working lands programs from the United States Department of Agriculture…

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Senate Passes Inflation Reduction Act: How it Impacts Agriculture

Over last weekend, the Senate pulled an all-nighter to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA or the Act), narrowly getting it across the line with a 51-50 vote. If passed by the House (which may happen today), it will enact the largest U.S. investment in the fight against climate change, with some commentators saying it will “change the world” and…

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USDA-NIFA Funds the Future of Agribusiness Innovation at N.C. A&T State University

Asha McElroy is a Master of Public Health student at The University of Michigan and summer intern with the HLS Food Law & Policy Clinic. She is a guest contributor on the blog. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides funding to land-grant universities teaching the next generation of leaders in agriculture,…

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The Need for Racial Justice within Land-Grant Colleges and Universities

Brooke Christy is a rising 3L at University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a guest contributor to this blog.  When we recognize the contributions that colleges and universities have made in the agricultural sector, special thanks must be given to land-grant institutions. Land-grant institutions were created by Congress with the mission of democratizing agricultural education for the working class….

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Nearing Deadline, USDA’s WIC COVID-19 Waivers Extended

Tanya Shahjanian is a law student at NYU School of Law and guest contributor on this blog. As the COVID-19 pandemic—and the resulting economic instability—persist into the fall season, underserved populations in the United States continue to suffer financially. Food insecurity remains high, and millions of families continue to rely on various federal food assistance programs to get by. Fears…

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The Farm Workforce Modernization Act Proposal

Amy Allen is a law student at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and a guest contributor to this blog.  On Wednesday, December 11, 2019, the House passed a bipartisan amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The proposed legislation creates an opportunity for currently undocumented agricultural workers to obtain authorized work status…

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REPORT CARD: Diversified Agricultural Economies in the Senate Farm Bill

The Senate passed its farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (S. 3042), on Thursday, June 28th. The bill is a mixed bag for efforts to build local, resilient agricultural systems that create meaningful opportunities for diverse farmers. FBLE’s report, Diversified Agricultural Economies, makes farm bill recommendations to achieve a more just farm system by ensuring socially disadvantaged farmers…

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Senate Ag Committee Advances Farm Bill With Mixed Bag of Amendments

Today the Senate Agriculture Committee breezed through its mark up of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and sent the draft farm bill to the full Senate on a vote of 20-1 (Senator Chuck Grassley, R-IA, voted “no”). The committee voted through a slate of amendments to the draft text released late last week. Dozens of amendments were incorporated into…

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Senate Farm Bill Adopts FBLE Recommendations; Key Concerns Remain

Senate Joins Farm Bill Fray Last Friday the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry released its draft farm bill, kicking off the Senate’s effort to pass new omnibus legislation before some provisions of the current law expire in September. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“AIA”), which arrives on the heels of the House’s failure to pass its own…

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