2015 has been a busy and exciting year for agricultural law. From federal regulations to cloning, drones to GMOs, there has been no shortage of legal issues affecting the agriculture industry.

Under federal law, employers are required to complete and retain copies of Form I-9, which is an employment authorization confirmation, for all employees. This applies whether dealing with a 100-section cattle ranch in Wyoming with 10 employees or a small cow-calf operator in Texas with 10 acres and one employee.

The agricultural industry suffered a blow in August when Idaho Code 18-7042, commonly called an “ag gag statute,” was found to be unconstitutional. This opinion leaves the fate of similar statutes in other states up in the air and limits legal protections available for agricultural operations facing trespassing or undercover video investigations.

What are “waters of the United States?” This seemingly simple question has caused more than a year of significant controversy between industry groups, led by agriculture and the EPA.

If you have already prepared an estate plan, give yourself a pat on the back – because you are ahead of most Americans. Statistics show that more than half of Americans ages 45 to 64 have not even drafted a will.

When most people think of drones, the first thing that comes to mind is military operations overseas using these types of unmanned aerial vehicles. It is surprising, then, to learn that agriculture was one of the main reasons drones were created in the first place.

Last week, an Oregon federal court issued an important ruling in Schultz Family Farms LLC v. Jackson County dealing with two very important, hot-button issues in agriculture: genetically modified crops and Right to Farm laws. Although the opinion addresses only one local ordinance, and is binding only in Oregon, it raises issues that we have likely not seen the end of and could be seeing in other places across the country.

It’s a call no cattle owner wants to receive – news that his or her cattle got out onto the roadway and were struck by a vehicle.

Over the past decade, federal estate taxes have often been in the news and a major concern for farmers and ranchers. In 2008, the estate tax exemption was only $2 million. Thus, a person whose taxable estate at death was worth over the $2 million exemption was required to pay federal estate taxes on the amount over the $2 million exemption.