Why did I create this blog?

The Janzen family farm in Kansas

I grew up on a farm in South Central Kansas.  After completing my undergraduate degrees at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, a nice “Hoosier” named Sarah brought me to Indiana, where I eventually enrolled in law school. 

I settled in at the law firm of Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP in Indianapolis.  The firm was founded to help industrial companies confront industrial problems, such as environmental contamination and how to pay for cleaning it up.  Now, as the firm has grown, it handles a variety of matters, including business transactions, complex litigation, insurance coverage, and agricultural law issues. 

Since becoming an attorney, I have taken every opportunity to build relationships with Indiana farmers and agribusinesses.  I was a founding member and the chairman of the Indiana State Bar Association’s Agricultural Law Section.  In 2008, I was selected by the Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman to serve on the Indiana Agricultural Regulatory Structure Task Force.  I have frequently spoken at conferences and conventions on agricultural law topics.  Last fall I spoke to the American Agricultural Law Association on the topic of agricultural nuisance.  

Ag law is only one of my practice areas.  I regularly assist buyers and sellers of commercial properties with the sale or purchase of businesses and real estate.  I frequently defend and litigate cases for a variety of clients, from a small Indiana dairy to a large Fortune 500 company. 

I have created this blog to expand my reach to ag and non-ag communities. I will post articles that I come across that I think Indiana’s ag community would like to read.  And I will post some of my own original works, including stories from my agricultural past and educational articles for non-attorneys about how the law works.  If there is something you would like me to post or a legal topic you would like me to write about, please let me know.