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Risk Management Consideration with hemp

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Two people talking at a table. Image by Edwin Remsberg

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Harvesting crops with combine by Edwin Remsberg.jpg

Crop being hand harvested by Edwin Remsberg.jpg

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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 and features the work of the Maryland Crop Insurance Education program and the University of Maryland - MPowering the State's Agriculture Law Education Initiative, a University of Maryland Extension Signature Program. This blog provides readers with information on risk management issues important to Maryland agriculture, upcoming events, and new materials that may interest readers.

$200 Million From USDA To Help Small Specialty Crop Growers With Food Safety Requirements

1 day ago
4 min

$200 Million From USDA To Help Small Specialty Crop Growers With Food Safety Requirements

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Are you a small or very small specialty crop producer? And have you had to pay costs to comply with regulatory food safety certification requirements or buyers’ food safety certification requirements? Then keep reading because the USDA has just announced plans to provide up to $200 million to help specialty crop growers offset eligible costs associated with obtaining or renewing re

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FSA Updates Farm Loan Programs To Increase Equity Among All Current Borrowers

Apr 26
3 min

FSA Updates Farm Loan Programs To Increase Equity Among All Current Borrowers

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. In March, the USDA announced that it is updating its farm loan programs to allow FSA flexibility in working with existing borrowers who may be in non-compliance with their loan program requirements, if the borrower acted in good faith and relied on a material action of, advice of, or non-action from an FSA official. This change applies to all current borrowers, but may especially im

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Reduce Farm Labor Law Compliance Risk: Check Out DOL’s Online Sessions

Apr 5
2 min

Reduce Farm Labor Law Compliance Risk: Check Out DOL’s Online Sessions

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Do you have questions about Federal labor laws that apply to your farm workers? What about the H-2A Temporary Employment Certification requirements? Or, would you like to learn more about OSHA health and safety requirements for farm workers? Maybe you want a refresher on the Fair Labor Standards Act and child labor, or maybe how to comply with the Migrant and Seasonal Worker Prote

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CATCH THESE INFORMATIVE ONLINE EVENTS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE USDA

Feb 1
2 min

CATCH THESE INFORMATIVE ONLINE EVENTS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE USDA

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. It’s February. It’s cold, dark and snowy. What better time to curl up in front of your computer and learn more about resources that might help you find funding to protect your forested land, help you grow your farm market, help bring broadband to your rural community and to your farm business, or help you learn more about technological innovations in climate mitigation and adaptatio

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FDA PROPOSES CHANGES TO PRODUCE SAFETY RULE AGRICULTURAL WATER REQUIREMENTS

Jan 11
4 min

FDA PROPOSES CHANGES TO PRODUCE SAFETY RULE AGRICULTURAL WATER REQUIREMENTS

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. On December 6, 2021, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published a new proposed rule that revises the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts) (Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR)). This is the latest step in the FDA’s implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The FDA is holding two virtual public meetings abou

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USDA Announces $75 Million to Fund Technical Assistance Programs for Underserved Producers

Dec 7, 2021
2 min

USDA Announces $75 Million to Fund Technical Assistance Programs for Underserved Producers

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The USDA announced on November 24, 2021, that it will provide $75 million in American Rescue Plan funding to 20 organizations to provide technical assistance and help connect underserved producers with USDA programs and services. USDA said that the organizations were selected for their proven track records working with underserved producer communities, including military veterans, be

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Negligent Entrustment Liability for Farm Employers

Oct 26, 2021
3 min

Negligent Entrustment Liability for Farm Employers

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. It’s that time of year when we are sharing the road with harvesters. Hopefully everyone is being careful out there. I was recently asked about an employer’s liability if one of their farm workers causes an accident while driving a piece of farm equipment, and that made me think this might be a good time to talk about “negligent entrustment.” Employers can be held liable for accident

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USDA Announces $67 Million to Help Heirs Resolve Land Ownership and Succession Issues

Aug 3, 2021
3 min

USDA Announces $67 Million to Help Heirs Resolve Land Ownership and Succession Issues

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will host a webinar TODAY, Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 3PM (Eastern) about the recently-announced Heirs Property Relending Program (HPRP). Keep reading for more information. As I wrote about last August in this blog, Section 5104 of the 2018 Farm Bill empowered FSA to give money to qualified intermediary lenders, including banks, cooperatives, cre

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Debt Relief Payments to “Socially Disadvantaged” Farmers On Hold Pending Lawsuit By White Farmers

Jun 22, 2021
4 min

Debt Relief Payments to “Socially Disadvantaged” Farmers On Hold Pending Lawsuit By White Farmers

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Co-Author: Ellis Collier, Senior Legal Research Associate for ALEI at UMES If you follow this blog, then you know we’ve been covering the historic debt relief program for "socially disadvantaged" farmers. But, as of June 10th, the payments that were expected to start being issued last month have been put on hold pending a lawsuit brought by white farmers. To learn more about what’s h

1,587 views0 comments

What does the FDA think is a “reasonably foreseeable hazard” in produce safety?

Jun 2, 2021
4 min

What does the FDA think is a “reasonably foreseeable hazard” in produce safety?

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Farms subject to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule are required to take all measures reasonably necessary to identify, and not harvest, produce that is likely to be contaminated with a “known or reasonably foreseeable hazard.” But, what qualifies as a “reasonably foreseeable hazard?” According to the FDA, growers in central California should now consider a particular strain of E. coli a

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Navigating Maryland’s Open Burn Laws

Apr 21, 2021
7 min

Navigating Maryland’s Open Burn Laws

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Burning things like trees, brush, residual crop vegetation, fertilizer bags, wood chips used for livestock bedding, bailing twine, even garbage can be a regular part of operating a farm. But, navigating Maryland’s laws governing open burning can be confusing. And, if you get it wrong, it can be costly. Keep reading for information about complying on your farm with Maryland’s open bur

1,829 views1 comment

Historic Debt Relief and Other Assistance for Black Farmers and Farmers of Color

Mar 31, 2021
5 min

Historic Debt Relief and Other Assistance for Black Farmers and Farmers of Color

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. UPDATE: What's New? The USDA has started sending letters to direct loan borrowers who qualify for loan payoffs. What Do You Need To Do? Triple check that the amount of the loan debt provided in the letter is correct. Remember, it's the amount of the loan as of January 1, 2021. If the amount in the letter is correct, sign and return the letter as instructed in the letter. If you bel

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You Should Still be Using Best Efforts to Protect Your Farm Workers From COVID

Mar 10, 2021
5 min

You Should Still be Using Best Efforts to Protect Your Farm Workers From COVID

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. It’s been a full year since Governor Hogan issued the first state of emergency for Maryland. Fortunately, we are seeing people getting vaccinated against COVID-19. However, COVID will continue to be a risk on our farms for at least the rest of the 2021 season, and using your best efforts to protect your farm workers from COVID still needs to be part of your farm risk management plan.

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Updates to the Paycheck Protection Program and COVID-19 Sick Leave

Jan 12, 2021
3 min

Updates to the Paycheck Protection Program and COVID-19 Sick Leave

The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. On December 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act). The Act contains many topics of interest to the farm community, this post, however, will focus on the impacts to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the federally mandated sick and family medical leave. To read more about previous versions of these, and other COVID-1

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New Resource Helps Farmers with Legal Side of Direct Marketing

Dec 1, 2020
3 min

New Resource Helps Farmers with Legal Side of Direct Marketing

Legal specialists at the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) developed the Legal Guide to Direct Farm Marketing to assist growers.

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Registration for MyFaRM Classes Extended

Nov 24, 2020
2 min

Registration for MyFaRM Classes Extended

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. December 8th is the new kickoff date for the new MyFaRM initiative. “MyFaRM” stands for Mastering Farm Risk Management. The MyFaRM program is free, and offers a series of classes covering all aspects of farm risk management, plus so much more! The MyFaRM program is an incredible opportunity for farmers on the Lower Eastern Shore to get comprehensive information and assistance in deve

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New Resource to Help Water Quality Trading Partners

Nov 11, 2020
2 min

New Resource to Help Water Quality Trading Partners

This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Maryland’s Water Quality Trading Program (WQT), launched in January 2019, creates a public market for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reductions. The WQT is a voluntary, collaborative effort between the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to enhance the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and local waters by accelera

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FSA Changes to Payment Limitations and Eligibility Rules

Nov 4, 2020
4 min

FSA Changes to Payment Limitations and Eligibility Rules

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. With all that’s been going on, you might have missed it, but on August 24, 2020, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) published the new, final, Payment Limitation and Payment Eligibility Rule. The rule became effective on August 20, 2020. It implements changes made by the 2018 Farm Bill for commodity program payment eligibility requirements and limitations. If you are doing farm expans

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Need A Farm Food Safety Plan? Tune In to Final Food Safety Friday “How-To” Webinar

Oct 20, 2020
3 min

Need A Farm Food Safety Plan? Tune In to Final Food Safety Friday “How-To” Webinar

This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. This year members of the Maryland Food Safety Network undertook an ambitious task, namely to breakdown the Produce Safety Rule into a monthly "how-to" webinar series. The series will culminate with a final webinar next month (November 20th at noon) to help growers take what they have learned in each webinar of the series and put into their own food safety plan. The Maryland Food Safety Networ

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UMES Industrial Hemp Conference Goes Virtual

Oct 13, 2020
2 min

UMES Industrial Hemp Conference Goes Virtual

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Have questions about industrial hemp? Join us online on November 5th for the second annual UMES Industrial Hemp Conference. This year’s virtual conference will begin with a session covering hemp production and management. Andrew Ristvey and Nicole Fiorellino from the University of Maryland College Park will cover agronomy and nutrient management of industrial hemp in Maryland. Zachar

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