2025 Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference Recap
Published in the ALEI Quarterly Update | December 22, 2025
The 2025 Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, hosted by the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI), was held on November 10, 2025, at the Graduate Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland. The annual conference brought together a diverse audience of agricultural service providers, attorneys, educators, environmental professionals, producers, landowners, policymakers, and students to explore the evolving legal landscape at the intersection of agriculture and environmental regulation in Maryland.
The day began with welcome remarks from Dr. Stephan Tubene, who set the tone for a full agenda focused on timely and complex legal issues affecting agriculture. Morning sessions examined Maryland’s growing energy demands and their impacts on rural communities, including legal considerations surrounding transmission lines, eminent domain, and agrivoltaics. Attendees also received critical guidance on Maryland’s new Heat Illness Prevention Standard, with perspectives from both regulators and farmers on compliance and worker protection.
Midday discussions highlighted farmer-centered approaches to strengthening local food security through community partnerships and policy solutions, followed by an agricultural and environmental law update covering key 2025 developments and a look ahead to 2026. A pre-lunch address from Renée Hutchins Laurent, JD, Dean of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, underscored the importance of continued collaboration between legal, academic, and agricultural communities.
Afternoon sessions focused on the effectiveness of economic incentives for riparian buffer adoption and the environmental benefits they provide, as well as an in-depth discussion of federal agricultural appropriations and USDA grant programs. Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks offered remarks emphasizing the state’s commitment to supporting farmers and conservation efforts. The conference concluded with closing remarks from Darren H. Jarboe, reflecting on the day’s insights and the value of ongoing education and dialogue.
ALEI thanks our sponsors for their generous support and all of our attendees and speakers for contributing their time, expertise, and engagement. Your participation continues to make this conference a valuable forum for education, collaboration, and thoughtful discussion on agricultural and environmental law in Maryland. We look forward to welcoming you back next year for another engaging and informative Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference.
