UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As agricultural enterprises navigate an increasingly complex landscape of workforce management, operational security, and property rights, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law is preparing to host a comprehensive educational event tailored specifically to the needs of the farming community. Scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026, from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the upcoming virtual session marks the fourteenth installment in the ongoing agricultural law webinar series presented through the AgWorks program.
Presented in collaboration with Penn State Extension, the webinar is officially titled "Webinar No. 14. Employer Property and Privacy Rights for Employees." Financial support for the event and the broader AgWorks initiative is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry alongside Pennsylvania CareerLink. The project operates entirely on federal funding derived from a U.S. Department of Labor grant totaling $1,325,699, with no non-federal funds utilized for its implementation.
The upcoming session will delve into critical legal dimensions surrounding employer property, facility access, and workplace privacy within the agricultural sector. Across the United States, a growing number of state legislatures have enacted specific statutes aimed at safeguarding agricultural employers from external vulnerabilities. These legislative measures are primarily designed to protect farming operations against job applicants who misrepresent their backgrounds, employment histories, or credentials to gain unauthorized entry into agricultural facilities and interact closely with workers. Furthermore, these laws address challenges posed by individuals who covertly record and subsequently distribute unauthorized audio or video footage of agricultural facilities with the explicit intent of causing reputational, financial, or operational harm to the enterprise.
Although Pennsylvania has not currently enacted such legislation—frequently referred to in public discourse as "ag-gag" laws—legal experts point out that understanding these legislative frameworks is increasingly vital for modern agricultural businesses. During the webinar, attorneys will provide a thorough overview of how various states have approached this legislation, examining the mechanics of these laws and their implications for agricultural operations nationwide.
In addition to property access and security, the webinar will explore proactive legal mechanisms that agricultural enterprises can leverage to protect their proprietary interests. Presentations will cover the strategic benefits of trade secret protection within agriculture, offering insights into how farms and agribusinesses can safeguard proprietary operational methods, specialized breeding data, technological innovations, and business practices. The session will also address the utilization of non-compete agreements, discussing how these contractual tools can be appropriately applied to protect business investments and retain skilled labor within the agricultural workforce ecosystem.
Following the formal presentations, the program will transition into an interactive question-and-answer segment. Participants will be provided dedicated time to pose legal questions directly to attorneys and discuss real-world operational scenarios encountered on their own farms and agribusinesses. Organizers emphasize that while the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law provides essential educational support and resources, it does not offer direct legal representation. Additionally, continuing legal education credits for attorneys will not be available for this specific program.
Registration is required for all individuals wishing to attend the webinar, as the secure access link will be distributed exclusively to registered participants. As part of the registration process, attendees will be asked to answer a series of brief questions regarding their farm or agribusiness. Program administrators note that these inquiries are designed to help track grant reach and participant eligibility under federal guidelines. All responses will remain strictly confidential and will not be shared outside the project team. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request for individuals with disabilities, in alignment with the program’s status as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Program.
AgWorks: Connecting Agricultural Businesses to Workforce Services and Training
The upcoming webinar forms a core component of the broader AgWorks initiative, a multi-year collaborative enterprise spanning from 2025 to 2027. Spearheaded by Penn State Extension and the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, the initiative works directly in partnership with regional farms and agriculture-related businesses to fortify the agricultural workforce system. The overarching mission of the project is to provide robust support to agricultural employers, expand meaningful employment and professional development opportunities for workers, and enhance overall employment conditions throughout the Commonwealth’s vital agricultural sector.
Under the framework of the AgWorks project, targeted resources are being deployed to assist small- to medium-sized agricultural enterprises. Specifically, the program is designed to deliver no-cost training, education, and professional consultation to 100 registered small- to medium-sized Pennsylvania farms and agribusinesses. These services are curated to address pressing operational challenges and ensure long-term business sustainability across diverse agricultural sectors. Depending on individual business assessments conducted alongside assigned workforce consultants, registered participants may also gain access to additional specialized resources tailored to their professional requirements.
Throughout the two-year lifespan of the initiative, organizers plan to produce more than 90 educational webinars. All sessions are meticulously recorded and made readily accessible to participating organizations and their respective workforces, establishing an extensive digital library of agricultural business and legal resources. Beyond large-scale virtual seminars, participating enterprises maintain the ability to consult directly with designated workforce consultants, facilitating individualized guidance that aligns seamlessly with their day-to-day operational realities.
Agricultural employers and agribusiness operators interested in taking advantage of the program’s offerings are encouraged to review the schedule of upcoming events or initiate the enrollment process. Participation in the AgWorks program begins with the completion of a dedicated intake form, which features a brief survey designed to help project leaders better understand the unique operational challenges currently facing local agricultural businesses.
For further details regarding the October webinar, the broader AgWorks program, or related workforce services, interested parties may reach out to program administrators via email. Additional information concerning training initiatives and support services provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is available directly through the state agency’s official online portal.
