NALC’s 10th annual Mid-South conference features peek into future of ag industry, international trade
Drew Viguet
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
With a decade of highlighting key industry insights, the Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference will offer a peek into the future of agriculture and international trade.
From humble beginnings in Tunica, Mississippi, the conference has grown into a central event for its organizer, the National Agricultural Law Center.
“We expect the 10th Annual Mid-South to be our biggest year yet,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “It’s a great networking opportunity, and the speakers and topics are relevant to people involved in law, banking, real estate, farm management and more across the spectrum of the agricultural industry.”
The Mid-South conference will be held at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. A welcome reception/networking dinner at The Rendezvous restaurant will take place on Thursday evening, June 8, and the main conference sessions will be on Friday, June 9. A livestream option is also available for those who cannot attend the conference in person. Registration, agenda and more information is online.
The keynote speaker for this year’s Mid-South is Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The session, “Perspectives on International Agricultural Trade and Future of Ag Industry,” is a part of the conference’s “Early Bird” online bonus continuing legal education on May 24.
The session is being moderated by Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.
“NASDA is a proud partner of the National Agricultural Law Center,” McKinney said. “I look forward to presenting on international trade and the future of the agriculture industry during the keynote for the Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference. I know Secretary Ward will do a great job moderating the session.”
Ward says the session and conference insights will be valuable.
“The Mid-South conference keynote will be a great opportunity for those in agriculture to gain perspective on the future of the industry,” Ward said. “Ted McKinney has excellent insight on where agriculture is today and where it’s headed, and I’m confident it will be an interesting and productive session.”
For the 10th Annual Mid-South Ag & Environmental Law Conference, the NALC has also teamed up with Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. Sara Wyant, founder and editor of Agri-Pulse, will moderate the “Update from the Potomac” panel on June 9. Additionally, conference registrants will receive a free one-month trial subscription to Agri-Pulse.
“As a leading name in agricultural communications, we’re very fortunate to have Agri-Pulse’s support on the Mid-South conference,” Pittman said.
Sponsorship opportunities available
The NALC is seeking sponsors for its 10th Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference. Current sponsors include the American Farm Bureau Federation, NASDA Foundation, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers, American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers- Mid-South Chapter, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Alabama Farmers Federation, USDA National Agricultural Library and Roux, Inc.
All net proceeds from the 10th Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference will go towards establishing the Scott E. Fancher Agricultural Law Scholarship.
“The COVID pandemic delayed our efforts to launch this scholarship, so we are looking forward to finalizing it in 2023,” Pittman said. “We are proud to recognize Scott, who gave so much to agricultural law and building the NALC into the institution it is today.”
More information on the Scott E. Fancher Agricultural Law Scholarship can be found in this short video online.
Information on becoming a sponsor and sponsorship levels can also be found online.
Continuing legal education available
The conference has been approved for five total hours of CLE accreditation and one hour of ethics in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. It has been approved for 6.4 hours of CLE and 1.2 hours of ethics in Missouri and approved for 6.3 hours of CLE and one hour of ethics in Kansas. American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers has approved the program for six hours of CE.
The May 24 “Early Bird” online program has been approved for three hours of CLE credit in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee; it has been approved for 3.2 hours of CLE credit in Missouri and Kansas. American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers has approved the “Early Bird” program for three hours of CE.
For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on Twitter. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture, which issues twice a month. ∆
Drew Viguet: National Agricultural Law Center, U of A System Division of Agriculture