Farmland as Habitat

Feb 03, 2023

Working on farms in rural Ontario, I’ve had the opportunity to see Common Milkweed and Monarch butterflies at all stages of their lifecycle and growth. Farm pastures (including a number of OFT Farmland Easement protected farms!) provide important habitat and feeding grounds for this remarkable, endangered¹ butterfly, as well as unique places for them to form their chrysalises. It’s fairly common to see chrysalises attached to farm equipment or tucked into corners, such as this one I spotted in the summer of 2021 on a moveable chicken greenhouse.

Last summer, one corner of the pig barn where I was working became a popular gathering place for them. It started with a single chrysalis hanging on the gate with its beautiful characteristic gold band. Thankfully, the gate in the pig barn wasn’t yet needed, but with farrowing season and autumn weather approaching, I hoped the soon-to-be butterfly would transform quickly. I returned to the barn later in the day to find another caterpillar setting up shop. They were soon joined by a third.

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Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.