Jillian Hishaw is an agricultural attorney, founder, and C.E.O. of F.A.R.M.S.  Inspired by her own family’s land loss this international non-profit provides technical and legal assistance to small farmers while reducing hunger in the farmer’s community.  Hishaw’s first book Don’t Bet the Farm on Medicaid, available on Amazon, examines how U.S. long-term care facilities can exercise their federal authority to place a lien on a resident’s property, forcing the sale if an outstanding debt is owed.  Hishaw has 15 years of professional experience in the areas of civil rights, land protection, and agricultural policy.  Her prior experience working on land protection matters for local and state agencies and on civil rights matters for the U.S. Department of Agriculture within the Office of Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. has given her immense insight on the topic of land loss.  Past academic publications include Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, The Journal of Food Law & Policy, South Dakota Law Review, Environmental and Energy Law Policy Journal, American Bar Association Environmental, Energy and Resources Agricultural Management Newsletter.

Hishaw’s recent advocacy work for Black farmers in the hemp and cannabis space has led to published op-ed articles in Civil Eats, The Counter, and HempLand U.S.A.  In 2017, Hishaw was recognized as a Food Changemaker by the Clif Bar Foundation and has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Atlantic, Vice News, The Washington Post, and more.  In 2019, the Food Tank organization voted Hishaw 1 of 15 women in the World Impacting the Food Industry.

Hishaw has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tuskegee University, plus a Juris Doctorate and Legal Masters in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Law school. Hishaw’s own land loss experience has influenced her commitment to law and advocacy work in agriculture and asset protection. To learn more, please visit www.jillianhishaw.com