The last issue of Pork Bits described air emission reporting requirements that were scheduled to become effective against farmers for the first time (as a result of a court ruling) and would have required many livestock farmers to report emissions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide produced from animal waste.  In response to this court decision,...

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) requires producers to have written agreements with landowners to apply manure under the site’s Nutrient Management Plan. While MPCA provides a one-page sample Land Application Agreement, this form does not deal with many common issues between producers and manure acres owners. One of the most significant issues is that these...

With summer approaching many employers will be hiring school-age children. While all employees are generally entitled to the same considerations and protections regardless of their age, the law extends additional protections to minor employees – those who are under the age of 18. Both federal law and Minnesota law govern the employment of minors, namely...

As commerce is becoming more and more dependent upon technology, many companies are considering ways to move from paper-based transactions to transactions conducted solely by electronic means. If you operate or do business with such a company, one important thing to be aware of is the law surrounding the validity of electronic signatures. Electronic signatures...

Unfortunately, employers cannot prevent all injuries from occurring in the workplace. Employers must continuously review their safety policies and practices to ensure the safety of their employees and make sure their supervisors know how to speedily and appropriately respond to injuries in the workplace. There are three steps employers should take when responding to workplace...

Farm families usually intend for the family farm, and the benefits and fruits of the family farm, to pass down to the next generations. Sometimes, however, things do not go as planned. Divorce is a fact of life. For a farmer, the prospect of cutting the farm in half cannot only cause great financial pain,...

In late December 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In addition to modifying the income tax brackets and numerous other tax provisions, the law significantly modified how spousal maintenance (alimony) payments are taxed at the federal level. For any Minnesota divorce finalized after December 31, 2018,...