If you have decided to form a Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) or Family Limited Liability Company (“FLLC”), you should strongly consider creating an Operating Agreement.  In New York, the Operating Agreement must be executed within 90 days of forming your LLC.  Farms and food entrepreneurs are discouraged from using an online form as the Operating [...]

So you’ve decided to form a limited liability company — congrats on your new business venture.  After filing the Articles of Organization with the Department of State and complying with any publication requirement, the next step is to draft the LLC’s operating agreement.  In doing so, you must decide whether you want your limited liability [...]

New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets (“NYSDAM”) has sanitation requirements for the direct marketing of food products.  Pursuant to Article 17, NYSDAM regulates the food sanitary conditions of “retail food stores.”  Said “retail food stores” do not include roadside stands, on-farm outlets, and farmers’ markets.  Even though farmers participating in these methods are [...]

I want to commend the Cornell Small Farms Program for its publication titled “On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Guidelines” (available on its resources page).  I reviewed the guide in its entirety in preparation for the local food CLE that was scheduled at Pace Law School in October (rescheduled for March 13th due to Hurricane Sandy).  I recommend [...]