Ohio Agricultural Law Symposium is May 16

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Attorneys with Ohio State University Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program will offer a day-long legal conference May 16 designed to offer attorneys insight into key issues that affect farmers and agribusiness, organizers said.

From helping attorneys understand the new provisions of the 2014 farm bill to considering how legal tools can reduce the impact of nursing home costs and Medicaid for family farmers, the Ohio Agricultural Law Symposium is set to offer attorneys detailed information and updates on issues significant to the agricultural community, said Peggy Hall, director of OSU Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program.

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

One of the goals of this year’s conference is to bring attorneys from all around the state together to spend time learning from each other and discussing legal issues affecting Ohio agriculture, she said. 

“Agricultural law is a unique area of law that requires attorneys to understand both the special provisions that apply to agriculture and the agricultural industry itself,” Hall said.

“Attorneys who understand agriculture and its laws benefit the agriculture industry as a whole and can best meet the legal needs of Ohio agriculture.”

The conference, which will be held at Ohio State University’s Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, in Columbus, runs from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. The conference offers 4.5 Continuing Legal Education credits for attorneys.

Conference sessions will include:

• The 2014 farm bill and federal farm policy.
• A roundtable discussion on guiding clients in today’s agricultural climate.
• Nursing home costs and Medicaid: the one-two punch to the family farm.
• A discussion with several market farmers at the North Market on legal issues and challenges.
• Agri-tourism and direct marketing trends and liability issues.
• Legislative update.
• A bus tour of Ohio State’s Waterman Farm.

Registration for the event is $100 and includes parking, breakfast, materials and refreshments. The conference is limited to 56 participants and the deadline to register is May 9.  Registration information is available at http://aglaw.osu.edu. 

Support from the Paul L. Wright Agricultural Law Endowment Fund allows Ohio State to offer the conference for a minimal fee, Hall said. For more information about the conference, contact Hall at 614-247-7898 or aglaw@osu.edu.