Bar 9 Farms, Inc. v. United States

25 Cl. Ct. 392, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 81, 1992 WL 38585
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedFebruary 28, 1992
DocketNo. 90-3856C
StatusPublished

This text of 25 Cl. Ct. 392 (Bar 9 Farms, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bar 9 Farms, Inc. v. United States, 25 Cl. Ct. 392, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 81, 1992 WL 38585 (cc 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

YOCK, Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment.1 Plaintiffs have brought suit challenging the determination of the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), through his designated representatives, that plaintiffs collectively qualified as only two “persons” during crop year 1987 for payment limitation purposes under price support and production adjustment programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Plaintiffs claim that this determination constitutes a breach of contract for which they are entitled to recover damages. The Government argues that the Secretary’s decision should be upheld as it was rationally based on the administrative record. For the reasons stated herein, after careful consideration of the administrative record, plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is denied, defendant’s cross-motion is granted, and plaintiffs’ complaint is to be dismissed.

Factual Background

This controversy involves the Price Support and Production Adjustment Program (Program) which is aimed at stabilizing the domestic market for wheat, upland grain, and cotton pursuant to the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended, 7 U.S.C. § 1421 et seq. (1988). The Program subsidizes producers of these crops who qualify for the Program and comply with its restrictions throughout the crop year. In short, the Program pays producers to grow less crop than they otherwise would.

The Program is administered by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are three levels of authority under the ASCS: county, state and federal. At the local and state level, the Program is administered by the executive directors of the county and state ASCS committees. The county ASCS office prepares the initial payment limitation decisions, disburses the payments, and makes random checks of compliance with the Program requirements. The county ASCS serves as the first level of review for ASCS Program decisions. The state committees hear appeals from the county ASCS decisions. At the federal level, the Deputy Administrator State and County Operations (DASCO) is the final level of internal administrative review and it supervises the state and county ASCS offices.

Farmers, who are interested in entering the Program, must submit an application, ASCS Form No. 477, to the county ASCS office. This form is an offer to enter into a contract with the CCC, whereby the farmer [394]*394offers to reduce his production of crops in return for Government payments. If the Government accepts the offer, the applicant must sign a contract to participate in the Program. Failure to comply with the terms of the contract may result in the withholding of Program benefits. The farmer must also submit a farm operating plan, ASCS Form No. 561, for purposes of payment limitation review.

ASCS Program payments are governed by the number of “persons” farming who are recognized by the ASCS. 7 C.F.R. Part 795 (1987).2 The importance of such a determination lies in the general congressional limitation that each “person” shall receive a maximum of one $50,000 payment. Section 1001(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985, Pub.L. No. 99-198, 99 Stat. 1444 (codified at 7 U.S.C. § 1308 (1988)). Section 1001(5)(A)(i) of that Act provides that the Secretary shall issue regulations which define the term “person.” In accordance therewith, a “person” for payment limitation purposes has been defined as the following:

Definition of the term “person”.

Subject to the provisions of this part, the term “person” shall mean an individual, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity. In order to be considered a separate person for the purpose of the payment limitation, in addition to the other conditions of this part, the individual or other legal entity must:
(a) Have a separate and distinct interest in the land or crop involved,
(b) Exercise separate responsibility for such interest, and
(c) Be responsible for the cost of farming related to such interest from a fund or account separate from that of any other individual or entity.

7 C.F.R. § 795.3.

The Secretary has also promulgated 7 C.F.R. § 795.14. That regulation states:

Changes in farming operations.

(a) Subject to the provisions of this part, a person may exercise his or her right heretofore existing under law, to divide, sell, transfer, rent, or lease his or her property if such division, sale, transfer, rental arrangement, or lease is legally binding as between the parties thereto. However, any document representing a division, sale, transfer, rental arrangement, or lease which is fictitious or not legally binding as between the parties thereto shall be considered to be for the purpose of evading the payment limitation and shall be disregarded for the purpose of applying the payment limitation. Any change in farming operations that would otherwise serve to increase the number of persons for application of the payment limitation must be bona fide and substantive.

Compliance with ASCS regulations is a prerequisite to price support and production adjustment payments. 7 C.F.R. § 713.-103(b).

Plaintiffs in the instant dispute are Bar 9 Farms, Inc., F. Barry Moore Trust, Robert B. Moore Trust, David C. Moore Trust, Anna Patricia Moore Trust, F. Barry Moore, Robert B. Moore, and David C. Moore. Barry, Robert, David, and Anna Patricia Moore are the adult children of Fred B. Moore, Jr. and Bernice G. Moore. By his last will and testament, Mr. Fred Moore established four separate trusts for his children; each child is the sole beneficiary of the trust which bears his or her name. Barry, his mother and the four trusts formed the Pied Piper Farms partnership in 1970. In 1977, Mrs. Moore sold her partnership interest, in various portions to her children and the trusts. In 1986, Barry, Robert and David Moore formed Bar 9 Farms, Inc., with each brother owning a one-third share. “Moore Brothers” is a partnership composed of Barry and Robert Moore. Prior to 1987, the ASCS office had determined that the three brothers and the Anna Patricia Moore Trust constituted four separate persons for payment limitation purposes.3

[395]*395In 1987, Pied Piper Farms, Bar 9 Farms, Inc., the four trusts, and Barry, Robert, and David Moore were farm producers in Stonewall, Fisher, and Jones counties in Texas. Pied Piper Farms, Bar 9 Farms, Inc., the Anna Patricia Moore Trust, the David C. Moore Trust, and Barry, Robert, and David Moore entered into contracts with the CCC to participate in the 1987 price support and production adjustment programs.

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Bluebook (online)
25 Cl. Ct. 392, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 81, 1992 WL 38585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bar-9-farms-inc-v-united-states-cc-1992.