John C. Becker, J.D.

Professor of Agricultural Economics and Law, (Teaching, Research and Outreach) Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802:  Director of Research, 1997-2000, The Agricultural Law Research and Education Center at The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013

207C Armsby Building, University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0575
FAX 814-865-3746
e-mail:  jcb1@psu.edu

B.A. Economics, LaSalle College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1969; J.D., The Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 1972.

Undergraduate and Graduate Courses (Information about these courses is available at the following web site: http://agenvlaw.cas.psu.edu):

  • AG 301W, An Introduction to Agricultural Law
  • ERM 411, The Legal Aspects of Environmental Resource Management
  • AG EC 497A, Environmental Law and Regulation Applied to Agriculture
  • Law 956, Contemporary Issues in Agricultural Law, The Dickinson School of Law
  • Contemporary Issues in International Agriculture, The Dickinson School of Law Summer session, 1999.
  • Farmland Preservation, Drake University School of Law, Summer, 1999 Agricultural Law Institute: University of Arkansas School of Law, Spring, 2001.
  • Introduction to Agricultural Law, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Summer Session, 1994.
  • AGBM 497G, International Comparative Agricultural Law, L’viv State Agricultural University, L’viv , Ukraine, Spring, 2004
  • Adjunct faculty member at the Dickinson School of Law, The University of Arkansas School of Law, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law and the Drake University School of Law.
  • 2005, Fulbright Senior Specialist grant to assist the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law at the University of New England, New South Wales.

Courses Being Developed for offering in future years:

AGEC 4XX, “International Environmental Law and Policy”

CED/ERRE 409, "Land Use Planning Law and Policy”

Outreach education responsibilities:

 

County, regional, and statewide educational programs for the general public, agricultural producers and agribusiness owners and operators, lawyers, accountants and bank officials.  Such programs include:

 

!                   Estate and Business Succession Planning for Farm and Non-Farm Families and Private Forest land owners.

!                   State and Federal Laws That Apply to Farm Labor

!                   Environmental Laws and Regulations Applied to Agriculture

!                   Preferential Assessment of Agricultural, Forest and Open Space land

!                   Landowner liability

!                   Community Conflicts Dealing With Agricultural Activities

!                   The Legal Environment of Agriculture and Agribusiness.

!                   Continuing Professional Education programs designed and delivered for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, The American Agricultural Law Association and The Dickinson School of Law

 

Funded Research Activities since 2000:

 

·         Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture grant, “Establishment of an Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center at the Dickinson School of Law”, July 1, 1997 to June 30, 2000. Principal Investigators, Christine H. Kellett and John C. Becker.

·         Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture grant, “Alternative Conflict Resolution Strategies That Address Community Problems Involving Intensive Scale Livestock Production”, November 1, 1998 to June 30, 2000.  Principal Investigators:  Charles W. Abdalla, John C. Becker, Barbara Gray, Nancy Welsh and Celia-Cook-Huffman.

·         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, “Environmental Law and Regulation Applied to Agriculture” July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. Principal Investigators:  John C. Becker and Christine H. Kellett.

·         U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service grant, “Estate Planning Opportunities and Strategies for Private Forest Landowners in the Northeast”, July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001.  Principal Investigators:  Michael G,. Jacobson and John C. Becker

·         U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative States Research, Education and extension Service grant, “Determining Agriculturally Related Skills 12 to 20 year Olds Need for Non-Parental Employment of Six Months or Less”, September 30, 2003 to September 29, 2006. Principal Investigators:  John C. Becker, Fern K. Willits, Dennis Murphy, James Hilton, and Tasha Snyder.