Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts associated with modern day agricultural industries to help them understand legal concepts as well as public policy that affects the commodities markets, natural resources in their "raw form", consumer attitudes, and market forces that affect various agribusiness industries of the west. Students will receive exposure to the framework of the United States legal system, with a brief review of the three distinct branches of government and how each branch impacts the development of law and policy as related to the production agriculture. The majority of the course will focus on four (4) primary areas: 1.) Animal welfare, law and policy, 2) Food safety regulations and organic growing standards in production agriculture and organic livestock standards, 3.) An overview of Environmental law, policy and 4.) Water law and policy. Students will be able to demonstrate how science, law and policy impact the modern day agriculturist as well as natural resource users.