Gary Baise

Gary Baise Commentaries Smithfield-Murphy Brown’s loss: One judge got it right One of the three circuit judges in the Smithfield Murphy-Brown court case loss (reported here last week) was Steven Agee, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He was appointed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals by President George W. Bush.  He graduated…

Gary Baise Commentaries Smithfield’s court loss may spell trouble for large-scale livestock farmers The agricultural world changed on November 19, 2020, and few in our business noticed. Murphy-Brown, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, lost a major case on November 19, 2020. With Thanksgiving activities and election allegations, little attention was paid to this loss other…

Gary Baise Commentaries This memo could offer clues to future Biden climate policies Climate 21 Project transition memo outlines priorities for new USDA secretary. Robert Bonnie, former Under-Secretary at USDA, along with Leslie Jones, former Deputy Undersecretary at USDA, and Meryl Harrell, former Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment…

Gary Baise Commentaries California’s Prop 12 goes to court – again An 8,000-word brief on behalf of hog producers was filed Jan. 14 by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in California. The outcome will determine if California can start telling American…

Gary Baise Commentaries What you should know about Biden’s net-zero ag emissions manifesto Get to know Robert Bonnie, one of the leading voices in Biden’s climate change strategy. According to recommendations in the Biden-Sanders unity task force document published last summer, “Democrats will partner with farmers to make the American agriculture sector the first in the world…

Gary Baise Commentaries Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force recommendations: What about ag? Large livestock farms may get new scrutiny in Biden climate policies. With the presidential inauguration of former vice president Joe Biden expected this month, it is time to look at how the future president may treat agriculture. Let’s start with Biden’s and Vermont Sen.…

Gary Baise Commentaries That $900 billion stimulus package includes pork – lots of it Congress has passed, and the President has signed, the $900 billion stimulus package. There’s a lot of pork in the bill, and it includes USDA. What is your tax dollar going to support? About $10 million will be made available for…

Gary Baise Commentaries Agricultural workers win overtime case The Supreme Court for the state of Washington found on November 5, 2020, that a Washington State provision exempting agricultural workers from overtime pay violated the state’s constitution. Dan Wood, executive director, Washington State Dairy Federation, noted that many farms paid $18 -$20 an hour for all…

Gary Baise Commentaries Farmers should applaud this air emissions rule December 7, 1941 – a date that will live in infamy – is remembered for Japan attacking the United States. Another momentous decision made on this date which will receive much less publicity is the action by the Trump administration regarding a new ambient air quality…

Gary Baise Commentaries Who is Marcia Fudge for USDA Secretary? The Ohio congresswoman once called President Trump a “clear and present danger to our Democracy.” The Ohio congresswoman once called President Trump a “clear and present danger to our Democracy.” President-Select Biden is considering a Congresswoman for USDA Secretary who last year read a letter…