With the government shutdown behind us, the Farm Service Agency can get back to work helping farmers. One way they do that is to offer loans to farmers and ag enterprises. There are a number of loan products, as identified here.  My office provides title work to FSA offices who... READ MORE

There are many legal and valid ways for families to avoid the probate process altogether. A good lawyer will help you avoid probate in many circumstances and save fees in the process. READ MORE

Anyone who lives in a rural area knows that farm prices are through the roof right now. For those selling farmland, it’s great news. But many of the farmers I talk to are worried about the high costs. Beyond the simple “It’s too expensive to buy land right... READ MORE

The Atlantic magazine recently published a great article about family farms and how they’ve weathered changes on the industry to become hugely successful. This is the type of farming I see in my corner of Minnesota. The farms are all owned by families. While they may have... READ MORE

Back in January, I wrote about a proposed rule from the Department of Labor that might have prevented farm kids from working on the farm or operating certain farm equipment deemed too dangerous for children.  Apparently, the DOL and the Obama administration have been taking heat... READ MORE

Everyone knows the laws about commercial trucking are complicated. So when you mix ag laws, farmers operating semi-trucks for their own farms, cell phone use, and commercial driver's licenses, you have an interesting mix of rules and exceptions. Here are a couple things farmers... READ MORE

Did you know that farmers aren’t supposed to bury concrete in their own yards unless they record legal notice of its location? Minnesota Statute requires landowners to file an Affidavit Regarding Farm Disposal of Solid Waste. READ MORE

Farming involves a lot of tough decisions and specialized knowledge. Farmers have to know when to hurry to the field in the middle of the night because a big storm is coming at 6:00 am and the whole chemical application schedule will be thrown off by missing these next 12 hours. ... READ MORE

A proposed change in youth farm worker regulations would prohibit farm kids under 16 from operating most machinery or working with livestock for pay. READ MORE

I was talking with a local banker yesterday who has been through several up and down cycles in farm lending and ag land. My question to him was, “Do you think this is a bubble?  Are prices going to crash at some point?”  That seems to be the question of the hour in... READ MORE