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Note: This website is intended to provide general information about legal issues, crop insurance, farm policy, and other risk management issues and should not be construed as providing legal advice. It should not be cited or relied upon as legal authority. For advice about how the issues discussed here might apply to your individual situation, you should consult an attorney.
Welcome to the Maryland Risk Management Education Blog, provided by the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. This blog provides readers with information on risk management issues important to Maryland agriculture, upcoming events, and new materials that may interest readers.
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Regenerating Maryland: The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act’s Impact on Agriculture
Photo by Chesapeake Bay Foundation By Kerry McClaughry and Nicole Cook This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Last year, another step was taken in efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay with the passing of the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act. The Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act (“Legacy Act”) was submitted as Bill 506 in the Maryland House of Delegates and cross-filed as Bill 428 in the Maryland Senate in the 2025 regular legislative s
Nicole Cook
Mar 314 min read
Free Webinar December 3rd - Workers’ Compensation for Maryland Agricultural Employers and Employees
A vast pumpkin patch basks in the golden glow of a sunset, creating a picturesque autumnal scene. This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Are you an agricultural employer or employee in Maryland looking to understand workers’ compensation? Join ALEI’s Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook on December 3rd for a free webinar. They’ll provide a comprehensive overview based on their recently published guide. In Maryland, most emplo
Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook
Oct 8, 20251 min read
Maryland’s Laws for Seasonal Agricultural Employment and Winter Layoffs
Image by Edwin Remsberg By Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Employment, on many farms, is seasonal in nature. Because of this, agricultural employers and employees frequently ask questions about winter layoffs and unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. In general, seasonal agricultural employees are eligible for unemployment benefits when they are laid off in the winter and the farm ca
Nicole Cook
Jul 29, 20253 min read
Don’t Lose the Land: Learn About Heirs' Property in Our Free Online Series
This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Join us online Tuesday evenings this June for our free, three-part series about heirs’ property. Heirs' property is land that has been passed down informally within families, often without a will or legal documentation, resulting in shared ownership among multiple descendants. This form of ownership is common in many communities, but particularly prevalent in communities of color, lo
Nicole Cook
May 27, 20252 min read
Maryland’s New Heat Illness Prevention Standard
A thermometer against a clear blue sky displays high temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit, highlighting a sunny and hot day. Image from istockphoto This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) Division of Labor and Industry published its new Heat Illness Prevention Standard as a final regulation on September 20, 2024. This new workplace safety regulation went into effect j
Nicole Cook
Apr 29, 20253 min read
New Resource: Workers’ Compensation Guide for Maryland Agricultural Employers
This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. ALEI’s Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook recently published a guide to workers’ compensation for Maryland agricultural employers. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that compensates employees for lost wages and medical bills due to a work-related accidental injury or an occupational disease. In Maryland, most employers with one or more “covered employees” are required to pur
Nicole Cook
Apr 14, 20251 min read
USDA Finalized Three Rules Amending the Packers and Stockyards Act Under the Biden Administration
Image by Edwin Remsberg By Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) finalized three rules under the Biden administration amending the Packers and Stockyards Act. The first rule, Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments, was published in November 2023, and went into effect on February 12, 2024. This rule added new disclosu
Nicole Cook
Jan 28, 20254 min read
APHIS Updates Indemnity Program for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on Poultry Farms
Young chickens roam in a pen filled with wood shavings. Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced an interim final rule updating the conditions underwhich poultry facilities that tested positive for HPAI will receive indemnity and compensation: WASHINGTON, December 30, 2024 – As part of its ongoing efforts to stop the further sp
Nicole Cook
Jan 7, 20253 min read
Upcoming ALEI and UMES Extension Heirs’ Property Workshops
Image by Edwin Remsberg By: Samantha Capaldo and Nicole Cook This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Agriculture Law Education Initiative and University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension will be hosting six heirs’ property workshops throughout the state in 2025: January 22, 2025 – Baltimore City Extension Office February 19, 2025 – Kent County Extension Office March 29, 2025 – Washington County Extension Office Apr
Nicole Cook
Dec 17, 20242 min read
Understanding the Corporate Transparency Act: What Business Owners Need to Know
Two focused individuals working on laptops, deeply engaged in their tasks at a collaborative workspace. Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UPDATE: Nationwide Injunction Halts Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (C
Nicole Cook
Nov 5, 20245 min read
MDE Seeks Public Input On Animal Feeding Operations Permit
Photograph by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. From MDE website: Listening Sessions Scheduled to Seek Public Input on Next Statewide Animal Feeding Operations Permit Sessions set for Eastern Shore, Western Maryland to hear ideas from the community on permit renewal to be issued next year BALTIMORE (Sept. 12, 2024) – The Maryland Department of the Environment today announced a series of four list
Nicole Cook
Sep 24, 20242 min read
Heirs’ Property Information Session in Clinton, MD on Sept. 25
Flyer for the heirs' property information session This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UMES Extension will host an Heirs’ Property Information Session on Sept. 25th. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. - noon at the University of Maryland Extension’s Prince George’s County Extension Office located at 6707 Groveton Drive in Clinton, Maryland. Heirs’ property is family-owned property inherited by multiple generations
Nicole Cook
Sep 3, 20241 min read
New Maryland Law Limits Liability Waivers for Recreational Facilities
Photo by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. This spring, the Maryland General Assembly passed a new law affecting how certain "recreational facilities" can protect themselves from liability for injuries caused by their negligence or wrongful acts. Under the new law, Senate Bill 452 (SB 452), now part of Maryland’s Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article at § 5–401.2, except for very limited exceptions, a
Nicole Cook
Jul 2, 20243 min read
Free Webinar June 24 on Tax Strategies for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program
Photo by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. If you received financial assistance through USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP), that assistance is taxable and you’ll have to report it as gross income during next year’s tax filing season. USDA is hosting a free webinar with tax experts to share strategies for dealing with the tax liabilities that DFAP recipients might encounter. Mor
Nicole Cook
Jun 11, 20241 min read
Produce Safety Rule Grower Training May 18 in Princess Anne
Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UMES Extension and the Maryland Food Safety Network are hosting an in-person FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) Grower Training in Princess Anne, Maryland, on May 18th. The training will be from 8:30am to 6:00pm. The location is at the UMES Research, Education and Extension Farm located at 10789 Steward Neck Road in Princess Anne, Maryland. More information abo
Nicole Cook
Apr 10, 20242 min read
Heirs’ Property Education Workshop at UMES on March 28
Heirs' Property Workshop Flyer This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UMES Extension will host an Heirs’ Property Education Workshop on March 28. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the UMES Richard A. Henson Center Ballroom on the main campus in Princess Anne, with opening remarks expected at 8:30 a.m. Heirs’ property is family-owned property inherited by multiple generations without the formal legal proceedi
Nicole Cook
Mar 19, 20241 min read
Upcoming Food Safety Trainings
Image by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Maryland Food Safety Network (MFSN)―a collaboration of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Agriculture Law Education Initiative, Maryland Extension programs, and the UM College Park Plant Science Food Safety Group―has several food safety trainings scheduled for this winter. If you need to: get FSMA-certified; ensure that new, existing or returning
Nicole Cook
Jan 16, 20243 min read
Negligent Entrustment Liability for Farm Employers
Photo by Edwin Remsberg This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The leaves are falling, which means it’s the time of year when we are sharing the road with harvesting equipment. Hopefully everyone is being careful out there. But, what if a farm worker has an accident while driving a piece of farm equipment and injures someone or something? Who could be held liable? Sounds like it’s a good time to talk about “negligent e
Nicole Cook
Oct 24, 20233 min read
New Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program for Container-Grown Oysters
Image Maryland Sea Grant Extension This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UPDATE 11.20.23 - Deadline to purchase has been extended to Dec. 15, 2023. Last week, the USDA announced a new shellfish pilot crop insurance program. The pilot program is available in certain counties in Maryland (Dorchester, St. Mary’s) as well as Virginia, Alabama, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, R
Nicole Cook
Oct 3, 20232 min read
FDA Guide for Small Farms on the FSMA Food Traceability Rule
Image by Edwin Remsberg The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a guide in May to help small farms and businesses comply with the requirements of the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Food Traceability Rule. You can download a copy of the guide here. The guide provides a general overview of the traceability rule, the requirements for a traceability plan, and recordkeepi
Nicole Cook
Sep 12, 20232 min read
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