For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that for the last eight months I have been working hard trying to start a state affilate of American Agri-Women (“AAW”).  We had a tremendous turnout for the reception and agri-tour in New York City and meet-ups in the Finger Lakes and Syracuse.  With huge efforts from AAW and volunteers here in New York, New York Agri-Women now has a full slate of elected officers.  You can read more about why I decided to start New York Agri-Women here.

I have really resonated with this blog by agriculture social media guru Michele Payn-Knoper about breaking away from work to enjoy time with family.  I related to this in my own life because for the last year I have poured myself into building my law practice.   Not only is “the law a jealous mistress” but it takes a lot of time to run a growing business.  The farm girl in me certainly knows how to roll up my sleeves and work hard; however, I know that in the last year I have not dedicated enough time to just enjoying life — whether it be running in Central Park, visiting a museum, attending a cattle show, or visiting friends and family.  It is always good to push for goals with everything you have but Michele’s blog reminded me that you can still do that while living a balanced life.

And I think this is much too common in farm and ranch families as well.  Part of the reason why I love and respect the agriculture industry so much is the hard work that it requires.  Michele’s blog stresses the importance of agriculture families finding people they trust to take care of the farm or ranch so they can make time for vacations.

So I challenge you to take a break from the stresses of the farm and make some time for life.  I am judging a county fair today in Brooklyn, Connecticut and then will be driving to Nantucket for a weekend of R & R on the beach with a few friends from New York City.  Looking forward to having a nice weekend on the water before fall arrives.  Have a nice weekend!

New York Farm Net also has some information on stress management on the farm that is worth a look.

There’s no doubt that dairy producers have been suffering from a challenging economic climate.  The current milk prices have forced several dairy producers to consider selling farm assets to stay afloat.  But before doing so, dairy producers should consider the tax implications.  New York Farm Net has an excellent guide illustrating the tax consequences of farm liquidation that I recommend reviewing.

Many people in the agriculture community like to complain about the law, but only a select few take the time to do something about it.  In the recent Grassroots newspaper published by the New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”), there is a great article by Jeff Williams (on page 13) about how a New York agriculture producer took the initiative to change the law.  The article highlighted efforts from Leonard Janiga, a beef, vegetable and crop farmer from Erie County, to change the Farmland Protection Program.  Through his participation in the Program, he lost eligibility for the Farmers’ School Property Tax Program and subsequently had to pay thousands of dollars for property taxes.

The article explains how members of NYFB can take their idea to their county and discuss their concern.  Then the idea can be submitted to the County Policy Development Committee for consideration.  If the County Farm Bureau approves the policy resolution at its annual meeting then it then submitted to the NYFB Resolutions Committee in November.  If the resolution is accepted then it is prepared for a vote at the New York Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.  With a majority vote at the state annual meeting in December, the resolution becomes an official New York Farm Bureau policy.  NYFB will then use its resources to lobby for this change at the state level.  If the policy has national significance then New York Farm Bureau will submit the recommendation to be voted upon by the American Farm Bureau Federation (“AFBF”).  A majority approval by AFBF puts that lobbying arm to work in Washington D.C.

At first glance, this might seem like a long arduous process; however, there is tremendous power having the weight of an agriculture organization such as New York Farm Bureau behind your policy recommendation.  Through my experience with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association‘s (“NCBA”) Resolutions Committee, I was amazed how the small percentage of active members could make such a significant impact on beef policy.

What if you cannot get an agriculture organization to support your recommendation? It is impossible for every agriculture group to accurately represent the views of every single member.   I disagree with some policy positions of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, and American Agri-Women — and yet I support these organizations whole heartedly.  Do not get discouraged or think your membership dollars aren’t working hard for your industry if this happens.  If you have a minority viewpoint on an agriculture law issue, continue to make your case to the membership.  Meanwhile, take it upon yourself to contact your national, state, and local elected representatives (whichever is the most appropriate) to explain why something needs changed.  Elected officials really do listen to their constituents and sharing your viewpoint with them can truly make a difference.

Finally, it is important to also note that agriculture producers and agri-businesses can help change the law by voting.  Take part of the democratic process and exercise your right to vote this fall.  Now is the perfect time to make sure that you are registered.  If you don’t vote, you cannot complain about the laws that affect your livelihood.

I want to give a big thank you to all of my readers out there.  I have had a great time blogging over the last year about food and agriculture law issues on this blog.  I am excited to implement video blogs and guest blogs in the next year.

In case you missed them, here were some of my favorite blogs within the last year:

1.  Everything you wanted to know about the Freedom of Information Act and the New York Freedom of Information Law.

2.  Still a strong supporter of NCBA’s Masters of Beef Advocacy Program.  Have you completed it?

3.  So what exactly is “agriculture law?”

4.  Some issues to think about with your farm lease.

5.  Here is a nice overview of New York’s livestock animal cruelty law.  And don’t forget to come up with  a plan before a peace officer comes knocking on your barn door.

6.  I still have to get through a lot of these books!

7.  A handshake just isn’t enough.  Get your partnership agreements in writing.

8.  Have you become an activist for the agriculture industry?  Get active and fight back.

9.  My dad is retiring this year.  I am very thankful for everything he has done for the agriculture community and feel blessed to have had him as my role model.

10.  August Checkup- How have you done on your New Year’s Resolutions?  What about making sure you have a health proxy and a living will?

11.  I urge you to take a Two-Month Twitter Challenge.

12.  As we are in the middle of State Fair season, remember what is really important.

Would love to hear comments from my readers about topics you would be interested in reading about during the next year.  Thank you for reading and making this first year of blogging a great one!  If you haven’t done so already, you can also find Rincker Law, PLLC on Facebook.

I am looking forward to attending the New York State Fair again this year.  I will be up in Syracuse on Tuesday, August 31st to watch the State Supreme Champion   Beef Female Show.  I will then be judging the steer show the following day.  If you are up in Syracuse on those days please come by and say hello.  If you can’t make it, I will be tweeting from @CariRincker with a #NYStateFair hashtag.

I am a strong supporter of 4-H and similar youth programs.  New York is not alone in funding cuts — which is why it is as important now as it has ever been to support our 4-H programs around the country.  The lessons that are learned through agriculture youth programs such as 4-H are invaluable.  I am a firm believer that hard work teaches our kids to be good people.

I am pretty excited to complete the Beef Quality Assurance (“BQA”) certification program.  I registered with Carol Gillis at the New York Beef Industry Council .  A $10 registration fee is required to help pay for the Mid-Atlantic Producer Certification Manual.  After a cursory overview of the materials this morning, the manual seems chalk full of best management practices concerning feedstuffs, record keeping, animal health products, cattle handling and biosecurity.

In the Mid-Atlantic region, after a written examination participants much complete chute side training.   The upcoming chute side trainings are as follows:

September 11, 2010 – Primrose Homestead in Cato, New York

October 8, 2010 – WBB Farm in Alden, New York

October 16, 2010 – Melbinski Farm in Newark, NY

Why Is Getting BQA Certified Important?

I think every beef producer should continue to get training over the years to stay abreast on updated animal handling and production practices.  Not only does the improvement in animal handling help project a positive public image but the use of best management practices directly affects a producer’s bottom dollar.  The 2000 National Beef Quality Audit indicated that the industry lost approximately $100/ head marketed due to dark cutters, injection – site blemishes, branding, and other quality concerns.  Furthermore, as I have written on several occasions, it is imperative that  livestock producers start building a case against livestock animal cruelty charges before there is a problem.  BQA and the New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program (“NYSCHAP”) are both examples of ways that cattle producers can help build a document history of his/her training and compliance with those suggested practices.  Finally, I believe that livestock producers should have an employee handbook that enumerates the best management practices for their specific industry.  Programs like BQA or NYSCHAP give excellent suggested procedures and policies that should be included in the employee handbook.   Livestock owners should regularly train its employees on proper animal handling techniques.

So stay tuned while I work through the BQA Certification.  I will try to post updates here on this blog while I read through the manual, take the written examination, and complete the chute-side test.

I was trolling through the blogosphere this morning and came across some great blogs from Gina Madsen for small business owners or aspiring entrepreneurs:

1.  Have you been considering using your 401(k) to help fund your start-up?  If so, read this first.

2.  If you are some type of self-employed person such as an agriculture free-lance writer, photographer or graphics designer, I would start paying close attention to your books.

3.  Here are some nice reminders about checking to see if a business name is already in use before using it.

Apologies to my readers for taking a hiatus from blogging the month of July.  My blog was changed to a different platform to give me greater flexibility.  I hope to start video blogging this fall so please stay tuned.  Big thank you to Matt Welsh at Kill Disco Design and Ranch House Designs for helping me with this transition.  Now that I am back to blogging again, I would love to hear some comments from my readers on what topics that you would like to be discussed.

As for the month of July, this is what my readers missed:

1.  Rincker Law, PLLC moved downtown to 11 Broadway, Suite 615, New York, NY 10004, near the Wall Street bull.  Since I’m oftentimes out-of-the-office either in court, real estate closings, meetings or traveling, please make sure to make an appointmnet ahead of time.  This office suite has several other attorneys in a myriad of practice areas.  On some days, I work from my new home office on the Upper West Side (moved across Central Park).  Clients are always welcome at this address as well by appointment.

2.  I had a great time at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) summer conference in Denver, Colorado.  It was nice to get out of the east coast humidity and close to the mountains.  I posted some pictures from the conference on Rincker Law, PLLC’s Facebook page.  As you might recall, I am the Chair for Young Producers’ Council‘s Public Relations Task Force.  I have several subcommittees that are hard at work.  For example, the Twitter, Facebook, and Blog subcommittees will each be developing its own “How-To” manual for young beef producers before NCBA Annual Convention in Denver next February.  Within these guides, the subcommittees will be highlighting YPC members that are actively using these social media forums.  I think it is really important for young cattle producers to get out and utililize these social networking sites not only to be an advocate for agriculture but also to stay appraised on industry news.

3.  The New York Agri-Women had a successful meet-up in Syracuse.  Pictures are posted on the organization’s Facebook page here and on Rincker Law, PLLC’s Facebook page here.  The organization had officer elections this week and the results will be announced soon.  With thanks to the organization’s business sponsors, the organization recently hired EDJE Technologies to complete a website for New York Agri-Women.  I have particularly enjoyed getting to know women involved in various segments of the agriculture industry throughout New York state.

4.   In case you missed it, I had a real-time Twitterview with @22Twts.  The full interview can be read here.

5.  Rincker Law, PLLC is also considering the development of webinars on a variety of topics pertinent to the food and agriculture industry.  Please stay tuned for the announcement of those webinars.   Would love to hear some suggestions from my readers regarding topics for legal webinars relevant to the food, fiber and biofuel industries.

I am tweeting from the Illinois State Fair today!  Please be sure to follow me @CariRincker.  I am posting some pictures from the showring via TwitPic.

Melkorka and her Sister Ulla at the NY Port of Entry

It’s been a fun week filled with interviews with New York Agri-Women.  Next up, is Melkorka Kjarval, who currently lives in Chelsea, a neighborhood in Manhattan, whose family is involved in production agriculture Upstate.

Melkorka responded to my questions as follows:

1.  What is your connection with New York agriculture?

My parents are farmers in Meredith, NY.  I am a web/graphic designer who often works with a lot of rural towns/farms as well as helping my parents out with their web marketing.

2.  What did you most enjoy about the reception and agri-tours around the greater NYC area?

I loved that it highlighted the enthusiastic response NYC has to farming– Blue Hill and the rooftop farms are such great examples of the enthusiasm our city has to our farmers.  I loved seeing the port – it was a peek behind a curtain that I never thought I would see (and we were all treated like royalty)!  Also, meeting all the ladies was a real treat!

3.  What would you like to see New York Agri-Women accomplish over the next few years?

Any organized voice that makes connections in Albany and with the influential food movement/market in NYC would be a great way to help our upstate farmers.

4.  What are some of your biggest agriculture policy concerns at the federal, state, and/or local level?

Working to curb policies that help corporations and hurt independent farmers, food safety, the lack of processing plants for farmers, etc.  I grew up in Warwick, NY on a sheep farm (Cherry Ridge Farm).  My parents moved their farm to Meredith, NY in 1998 and have since converted into a grassfed beef operation (Spring Lake Farm).  We moved for many reasons but mainly because the area we lived in had changed into a farming community to one with a suburban population and suburban interests (not ag-friendly).  Even though my parents live in a farm friendly area now, I still really feel for farmers and farm kids who are used to feeling the stigma from their for living on a farm or rural area.  As a farmer’s daughter and a designer who works on a lot of farm websites, it is really important for me to highlight and showcase rural life and independent farming (even the farms that are not tourist ready farms) in a positive light.  I think the web and new technology in general shows great progress in leveling the playing field and allowing our upstate farmers (my parents included) to reach consumers and a greater audience they haven’t had the opportunity to reach in other mediums.  It is really exciting moment for Upstate NY farming and I think New York Agri-Women will open up many possibilities for our farmers!

Melkorka was kind enough to donate her time and sketch a great logo for New York Agri-Women!  You can check it out here.