The last few months have been particularly eventful, and we are pleased to be able to update you on some of the recent projects and developments that have occurred at the Center.   
 
We are very proud that the Center continues to grow and move forward in many ways.  The number of visitors, especially including new and unique visitors, has expanded monthly and is far surpassing even last year's monthly totals. The United States Agricultural & Food Law and Policy Blog continues to expand in readership as well.  Another positive sign is that the number of subscribers to the Center's newsletter continues to grow daily, having more than tripled in subscribers since its beginning.

We recently completed a research proposal to address Small and Medium Sized Farms under the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative Program, the flagship competitive grants program for the National Institute for Food and Agriculture established under the 2008 Farm Bill.  Several other proposals have been submitted as well, including projects to address legal issues for specialty crop producers, development of local food systems, beginning farmers and ranchers, and to further develop the eXtension Agricultural Law Community of Practice.  In addition, other projects have been awarded, including a project with the University of Illinois funded by the North Central Risk Management Education Center and another with Mississippi State University funded by the Southern Risk Management Education Center.
 
Beginning in August, eight new attorneys will begin working at the Center as Graduate Assistants who are also enrolled in the Graduate Program in Agricultural and Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law.  We're very excited about their beginning their work here and serving a key role in helping fulfill the Center's mission as the nation's leading source of agricultural and food law research and information.  Further, the Center's National Advisory Board will convene later this month to help the Center identify priorities and strategically plan its long-term service to the nation's agricultural community.  Finally, I want to say  thanks to all of the users of the Center's web site and newsletter subscribers, especially those who have subscribed since the last edition.
 
As always, a special thanks is owed to the Center's staff whose hard work and dedication are essential to the Center's operation and positive growth.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can ever be of any assistance in any way.

 
Best regards,