Roger McEowen, Professor of Agricultural Law and Taxes at Washburn University School of Law, participated in the Ag Issues program on Monday. Topics covered included the legal issues related to mandatory burning of agricultural land, as we often see it at this time of the year. The rules between states are similar, but they differ from state to state. Another topic of discussion was zoning, which is largely a local issue. Agricultural zones are often treated favorably, either because they are exempt from zoning at the county level, or because they receive a real estate tax reduction, or both. A key question is whether a particular activity constitutes “farming” so that preferential treatment applies. McEowen looked at recent court cases regarding zoning in relation to agricultural land.