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Navigating Maryland’s Open Burn Laws

More on Scare Guns and the Right-to-Farm Law

What is a Cottage Food?

Maryland Circuit Court Judge Reverses Final Maryland AFO Permit

Risk Management Consideration with hemp

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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.

Navigating Maryland’s Open Burn Laws

Apr 21
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

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

Mar 31
4 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: White House/USDA Stakeholders Call on ARP Debt Relief for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers The White House Office of Public Engagement and the USDA are inviting people to attend a webinar briefing on Tuesday, May 11th, on the debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers provided by the American Rescue Plan. USDA Senior Advisor for Racial Equity Dr. Dewayne Goldmon and Farm S

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

Mar 10
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
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

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

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 accelerating the pace and reducing the cost of implementation efforts. Farmers are one of the

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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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FSMA - Updates and Produce Safety Rule Training

Sep 29, 2020
3 min

FSMA - Updates and Produce Safety Rule Training

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. September offered up several FSMA updates for growers, including the first injunction against a food producer for food safety violations, a new proposed rule for food traceability, and the first Maryland Produce Safety Rule Grower Training opportunity for the 2020-2021 winter season. FDA Issues First FSMA Permanent Injunction The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 1

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Appeals Court Remands Enlist Duo Registration to EPA But Does Not Vacate

Sixth Annual Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference Offered Online

Sep 8, 2020
3 min

Sixth Annual Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference Offered Online

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. For six years the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) has hosted the Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference to discuss the complex legal issues that farmers grapple with regularly. This year, due to ongoing uncertainty related to the global pandemic, ALEI is moving its annual conference online by hosting a three-week webinars series. The online sessions will be free of

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A Time To Prepare

Sep 1, 2020
4 min

A Time To Prepare

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. September is National Preparedness Month (as declared by the Department of Homeland Security) and National Food Safety Education Month (as declared by the Centers for Disease Control). As we continue to combat COVID-19 and other disasters, this September is an especially good time to update (or create) your farm’s food safety and disaster plans! Keep reading for tips and resources to

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CEQ Finalizes First Update to the National Environmental Policy Act Since 1978

Grow Organic? Have You Read the Proposed Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule?

Aug 18, 2020
3 min

Grow Organic? Have You Read the Proposed Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule?

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. On August 5, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Proposed Rule. The SOE Proposed Rule, according to the USDA AMS, amends the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The proposed changes

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Farm Bill Helps Heirs Property Farmland Owners

Aug 11, 2020
4 min

Farm Bill Helps Heirs Property Farmland Owners

This article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. For U.S. farmers, having clear title to land has been the key that opens the door to federal programs, including loans, conservation programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance. That’s because, in order to apply for federal programs, USDA requires farms to have a “farm number.” And, in order to get a “farm number,” the USDA has historically required proof of clear title to land.

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0.3 percent of what? Pay attention to changes in the new state hemp production plan

Aug 4, 2020
3 min

0.3 percent of what? Pay attention to changes in the new state hemp production plan

This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. On July 6, 2020, the Maryland Department of Agriculture released the proposed hemp plan, required under the 2018 Farm Bill to allow for more hemp production in the state. The 2014 Farm Bill opened the door to limited hemp production, and several Maryland growers have been participating in the state’s pilot research program for the past two years. With this move towards a hemp production plan,

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Understanding the Proposed Maryland Hemp Farming Program

Jul 28, 2020
2 min

Understanding the Proposed Maryland Hemp Farming Program

This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Changes in Maryland’s hemp growing program are on the horizon - the Maryland Department of Agriculture recently announced proposed regulations to establish a licensing program for agricultural hemp production. This post will provide background on the current hemp farming legal framework and provide an overview of the proposed Maryland hemp farming regulations, which are scheduled to become ef

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Dicamba Legal Update On the Ninth Circuit And What Is Going On With the Drift Class Action

Jul 15, 2020
3 min

Dicamba Legal Update On the Ninth Circuit And What Is Going On With the Drift Class Action

This is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. Dicamba has been back in the news lately in several areas. EPA recently moved to cancel registrations for three dicamba products, XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapa, based on a ruling in the Ninth Circuit. Growers have till the end of July 2020 to use existing stocks. And Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, recently announced a proposed settlement of around $400 million for class-action lawsui

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