Last week I recieved this tweet from @NateJaeger, the Director of the Beef, Equine, and Hay & Forage Commodities at the Alabama Farmers Federation: Hey @CariRincker why haven’t you told us about this b4 http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org. It’s awesome. I responded to @NateJaeger indicating that the National Agricultural Law Center was a fantastic resource for people and agribusinesses in nearly every segment of …
New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program (NYSCHAP): Cattle Welfare Program
I first heard about the New York State Health Assurance Program (“NYSCHAP”) last January at the New York Beef Producers’ Assocation (“NYBPA”) annual meeting in Syracuse. After an inquiry about the program from a New York cattle producer, I had Kathy Finnerty, the program’s coordinator, send me informational materials about NYSCHAP. As I said in this article, I recommend that cattle producers …
Book Discussion on “A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy”
Thank you to all of you who participated in the last book discussion on Foer’s “Eating Animals.” The discussion is still up on Google Wave if you just finished the book and want to join the conversation. The next agriculture book discussion will be on Wesley’s J. Smith’s “A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The …
Spring Cleaning: Living Wills
Hopefully all of you timely filed your tax returns by April 15th. As I noted in this blog, I think a review of your estate plan is a great thing to do each year after tax season to help establish an annual routine. A few weeks ago I gave a general overview of health proxies. When you are reviewing your documents this spring …
NYSBA Animal Law Pamphlet Available Online
The New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) Committee on Animals and the Law (“CAL”) has developed a helpful pamphlet summarizing New York animal law (including both farm animal and companion animal law). It is available online here. In addition to farm animal cruelty statutes previously discussed on this blog, the pamphlet shines light on two companion animal laws here in New …
Spring Cleaning: Do You Have a Health Care Proxy?
As I stated in this blog, I think it is important to make reviewing your own estate plan an annual tradition (I previously suggested to do it each spring right after you file your taxes). When you review your documents, make sure you have a properly executed health proxy. If you don’t have one then this spring is the perfect time to make sure it’s …
New York Animal Law Webcast Available Online
As some of my readers might recall, I am on the Committee on Animal Law (“CAL”) for the New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”). The webcast from the CAL annual meeting is now available online. If an attorney would like to recieve MCLE credit, NYSBA members can pay $75 and nonmembers can pay $125. There are also materials available for download online from …
Investigations By Non-Police Officers for Animal Abuse: Has Your Livestock Operation Developed a Plan?
Over the last six months, I have been blogging a lot about livestock animal welfare issues. Last month, I wrote this blog that contained a checklist for New York livestock producers when they are confronted by a peace officer that wants to investigate their property for animal abuse. Today I posted this article on JD Supra that describes in more …
Urban Development: Is It Making It Too Hard For Children To Stay On The Farm?
This past week I was asked this very question and it made me think about the connection between urban development and our children who grew up in production agriculture who later leave the farm only to get a job in a metropolitan area. In this blog, I mentioned that this issue is creating a problem for agriculture estate and succession planning as some farmers …
Checklist: What Should New York Livestock Producers Do If A Peace Officer Asks To Investigate Their Property
If you remember last fall in this blog, I highlighed various livestock animal cruelty laws in New York. Like this Long Island horse breeder, many livestock producers in New York are wondering if they will be next. It is important for livestock producers in New York to understand that duly incorporated animal societies (principally the New York Society Preventing Animal …
Will Be a Panelist at the Sigma Alpha/Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar
I have been asked to be a panelist to speak on agriculture law and policy issues at the Sigma Alpha/Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Seminar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 20th from 1:15 to 2:45 pm at the Holiday Inn – Historic District Hotel located at 400 Arch Street. I’m really excited about this event for a few reasons. First of …
FOIL Requests to New York Administrative Agencies
New York farmers and agribusinesses should understand their right to information under the the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) and New York Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”). Last summer, I posted this blog which gave a step-by-step guide on how to make a FOIA request. For New York agriculture producers, I recommend reading this recent article of mine that describes more New York specifics to …