In this issue:
Scott A. Chernich
The farming and agricultural industry has been dealing with financial challenges even before the pandemic. Those who were in financial jeopardy before the shutdown are forced to rely on taking on even more debt now just to survive. Currently, the sum of debt across the farming sector amounts to a staggering $496 billion according to the USDA. Farm debt has not been seen on this magnitude in decades and now surpasses previous records held from the farm financial crisis in the early 1980s...
Ryan E. Lamb
Announced on October 6 and published on October 12, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule to amend H-2A certification regulations. The H-2A program allows employers to temporarily address their labor needs by hiring foreign agricultural workers when there are not enough workers that are willing and available. The rule arises from the thousands of comments received by the DOL from Ag and Labor organizations after proposed changes to the H-2A program in 2019...
The Detroit News
As farmers wrap up harvest season, Michigan traffic accidents involving farm vehicles are up over last year, officials said.
As of Oct. 28, 2022, there were 168 accidents involving farm vehicles, according to state police reports. By the same time in 2021, there had been about 150 accidents. In 2021, there were 195 traffic accidents and five fatalities involving farm equipment...
May 4, 2023
Julie Fershtman is speaking on May 4, 2023 at the 37th Annual National Conference on Equine Law in Kentucky. She is speaking on “Advising Equine Clients on Risk Management”. See more information here.
Michigan Farm News
The American Farm Bureau Federation and John Deere signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Sunday that ensures farmers’ right to repair their own farm equipment.
The MOU, signed at the 2023 AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the culmination of several years of discussions with John Deere, according to AFBF President Zippy Duvall, who made the announcement during his annual address.
According to Duvall, the MOU evolved from frustrated members unable to fix their own equipment or work with local independent mechanics...
The USDA launched its pilot Cattle Contracts Library, giving producers the mechanism to find key terms, conditions and volumes of cattle contracts.
According to USDA, the library will create transparency for cattle producers, empowering them to negotiate better terms, monitor risks of marketing preferences and pricing practices, and take advantage of market opportunities...
Lansing
|
Southfield
Grand Rapids
Detroit
Holland
St Joseph
Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC E-Newsletters are intended for general information for our clients and friends. This newsletter highlights specific areas of law and is not legal advice. The reader should consult an attorney to determine how this information applies to any specific situation.
IRS Circular 230 Notice: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication is not intended to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.
Copyright © 2025 Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC.