ALEI hosts an Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference annually. This event attracts agricultural service providers, attorneys, educators, environmentalists, producers, landowners, policymakers, and students to discuss the complex intersection of environmental regulation and agriculture in Maryland. ALEI prides itself on hosting an event that brings agriculture and conservation experts together in a forum that allows for exchanging ideas and education for conference attendees on current legal topics of interest.

This year’s conference will be held in person on November 10, 2025, at the Graduate Hotel in Annapolis. Registration is now available!

Agenda

7:30 – 8:20 a.m.
Registration & Breakfast

8:20 – 8:30 a.m.
Welcome remarks from Dr. Stephan Tubene, Professor & Chair of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences’ Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences and Associate Director of the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense

8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
From Crops to Kilowatts: Growing with Maryland’s Energy Demands
Presenters: Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman, PhD, Associate Professor of Urban Ecosystems and Sustainable Built Environments, Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park; Tyler Hough, Director of Government Relations for the Maryland Farm Bureau
Description: Maryland’s expanding energy needs are reshaping rural communities. This session will cover legal issues tied to new transmission lines, eminent domain, and opportunities for agrivoltaics that combine farming with solar power.

9:15 – 10:00 a.m.
Maryland’s New Heat Illness Prevention Standard
Presenter: Cristina Campbell Harris, Industrial Hygiene Supervisor, Maryland Department of Labor – Maryland Occupational Safety and Health – Labor and Industry; Karl Shlagel. Farmer, Shlagel Farms LLC and Director, Maryland Farm Bureau
Description: Last fall, Maryland introduced a new Heat Illness Prevention Standard that applies to any workplace—indoors or outdoors—where the heat index reaches 80°F or more. This includes farms. Learn what the rule requires and how agricultural employers can stay compliant while protecting their workforce.

10:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Break & Networking

10:15 – 11:00 a.m.
Addressing Local Food Security through Farmer-Centered Community Partnership Networks
Presenters: Del. Lorig Charkoudian, District 20, Montgomery County; Erin Duru, Assistant Director for Maryland’s SNAP-Ed program; Nancy Nunn, facilitator, Assistant Director, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology
Description: This panel will feature a discussion on the impacts of federal policy changes for health and nutrition benefits programs, as well as state and local policy and partnership solutions that can help sustain food access programs. It will also highlight lessons learned from ALEI’s Maryland-based SARE outreach project, showing how farmers can become vital access points for fresh local foods while strengthening communities and the local economy.

11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
From Fields to Courtrooms: Ag Law Shifts in 2025 and Beyond
Presenter: Paul Goeringer, Principal Faculty Specialist & Extension Specialist, University of Maryland
Description: A 2025 agricultural and environmental law update with a 2026 outlook, covering recent state right-to-farm rulings, evolving PFAS litigation and regulation, and key legislative changes impacting agriculture.

11:45 – 11:55 a.m.
Pre-Lunch Address from Renée Hutchins Laurent, JD, Dean of the Francis King Carey School of Law

11:55 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Effectiveness of Economic Incentives to Enhance Riparian Buffer Adoption and Environmental Benefits in Maryland
Presenter: David Newburn, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland
Description: This session reviews a statewide study on how economic incentives influence Maryland farmers’ adoption of riparian buffers for water quality and carbon sequestration. Findings highlight which program features—such as payment type, contract length, and targeting—work best, with policy recommendations for improving efficiency.

1:45 – 1:50 p.m.
Afternoon remarks from Kevin Atticks, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture

1:50 – 2:00 p.m.
Break & Networking

2:00 – 3:05 p.m.
Unpacking Federal Agriculture Appropriations and Budgetary Decisions on USDA Grant Programs
Presenter: Emma Jagoz, Owner/Farmer, Moon Valley Farm; David Grahn, Lecturer, University of Arkansas Law School Agricultural and Food Law LL.M Program
Description: Federal agriculture policy and budget decisions play a central role in shaping the future of farming and rural economies. This session will explore the federal agriculture appropriations and budget process, and the effects recent USDA agricultural budget decisions have had on producers and grant programs.

3:05 – 3:20 p.m.
Closing Remarks from Darren H Jarboe Principal Agent & Assistant Director, University of Maryland Extension Agriculture & Food Systems