Agriculture & Food Production

Miller Thomson LLP’s Agriculture and Food Production Law Group consists of lawyers from various disciplines across the country who have an in-depth understanding of legal issues involving agriculture and food production, and the challenges that can arise in this field.  With our knowledge and experience in this complex and unique area of law, we are able to assist with every our client’s legal needs in a professional and cost-effective manner.

We offer expert knowledge and practical advice in connection with:

• Marketing Boards and Commissions

• Livestock and Plant Production Issues:
  • regulation and control of animal and plant diseases
  • pedigrees
  • owners liability and insurance issues
  • pesticides and herbicides
  • veterinarians
  • livestock feeds and nutrient management

• Agricultural Lending and Recoveries:
  • drafting agricultural security
  • designing and implementing financing programs
  • collections, seizures, foreclosures, bankruptcy and insolvency

• Commercial Transactions Involving Agriculture and Food Production:
  • custom feeding and production agreements
  • agricultural leases
  • quotas and licensing  

• Litigation on Agricultural and Food Production Issues

• Business Organization and Development:
  • agricultural cooperatives  and societies
  • farmers markets
  • capitalizations: private and public offerings
  • production and value added chains
  • greenhouses and market gardens  

• Right of Entry and Surface Leases

• Land Use Planning and Environmental Issues:
  • water rights,  irrigation and watercourses
  • protection of the “right to farm”
  • ground water pollution  

• Liability of Governments and Government Agencies

• Grain Law

• Marketing and Transportation:
  • regulatory issues for marketing, transportation and sales
  • livestock auctions
  • insurance issues  

• Intellectual Property
  • patents
  • trade mark and copyright
  • industrial design  

• Food Safety and Production Protocols e.g. organic foods, hormone free products, labeling and packaging

• Farm Succession Planning and Estates 

• Interprovincial and Export Trade in Agriculture and Food Products 

• Competition Issues 

• Farm Safety Net Programs e.g. CAIS

• Tax Issues

• Wineries

Our Firm

Miller Thomson LLP is one of Canada’s largest national law firms, with offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Markham and Montréal. The firm provides a complete range of business law, advocacy and personal legal services to Canadian and international corporations, entrepreneurs, institutions, governments and not-for-profit organizations.