I’m very excited for a busy winter with agriculture conferences and events. I love being a New Yorker and living in NYC but it is always nice to get a break from the hustle and bustle and be around others that share my passions and interests. Here are a few agriculture events coming up that I will be attending:
1. I’m looking forward to the New York Beef Producers’ Association (“NYBPA”) annual meeting in Syracuse, New York this Friday and Saturday. You can review the full agenda here and you can find the registration form here. The animal science part of my brain is looking forward to the Feeder Conference on Friday, January 21st and the Winter Management Program on Saturday, January 22nd. I will also be attending the annual meeting for the New York Simmental Association (“NYSA”) on Saturday at 3:30pm.
2. The New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) Agriculture and Rural Issues Committee will have a teleconference on Tuesday, January 25. I am looking forward to getting more involved with this committee. If you are an attorney in New York practicing (or considering practicing) agriculture law, or if you are a law student who is considering this practice area, then I highly recommend becoming active on the NYSBA Agriculture and Rural Issues Committee.
3. Even though the event is broader than agriculture law, I will be attending the Annual Meeting of the NYSBA Committee on Animals and the Law (“CAL”) at the New York Hilton on Wednesday, January 26, 2011. The theme of the event is “Ethical Considerations and Legal Determinations in the Practice of Animal Law.” You can view a brochure of the event here. There is cross-over between agriculture law and animal law, especially with the criminal prosecution of livestock animal cruelty and property disputes with livestock animals (e.g., replevin cases). I am glad that I am able to bring a unique viewpoint to the committee. I have also enjoyed handing matters concerning companion animals for folks who live in greater New York City (e.g., landlord-tenant disputes, estate planning, ownership disputes). It is an interesting and growing practice area, especially in New York.
4. I also hope to attend the annual meeting for the NYSBA Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law and Family Law Sections on Thursday, January 27th at the New York Hilton. My practice heavily crosses over to both of these practice areas. I work on food permits via the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. I am also considering attending the Annual Meeting for the Dispute Resolution Section since I am a strong supporter of Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) including mediation and arbitration. For those of you who live in New York, I encourage you to visit my previous blog on the New York State Agriculture Mediation Program (“NYSAMP”), which is free for agriculture families. Mediation is an excellent way to try to reach a settlement prior or during litigation.
5. I will be flying back home to Illinois on Friday, January 28th in time for my father’s retirement party at Lake Land College. You can find the details of the event here. I feel very blessed to have such an amazing role model in my life. I can only hope to be as strong of a leader in the agriculture industry as my father has been. I hope that his previous students and their families will make a showing that day. I obtained my Associate of Science in Agriculture from Lake Land College and will strongly support success of the Division of Agriculture Science after my father retires this summer as division chair.
6. From Illinois I am hopping on a plane and heading west to Denver, Colorado! I was selected to participate on the National Beef Speakers Bureau for the American National Cattlewomen (“ANCW”). I will participate in a three-day training session to prepare me to speak to consumers about issues affecting the beef cattle industry. On Tuesday, February 1, I will be attending the Annual Meeting for ANCW and participating in the Animal Welfare Committee. From February 2 thru February 4, I will be attending the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (“NCBA”) Annual Convention and Trade Show. I wasn’t able to attend last year so I am particularly excited about attending this winter. I am voting member on the Agriculture Policy Committee and Tax and Credit Committee for NYBPA. The Young Producer’s Council (“YPC”) business meeting will be at 2pm on Thursday, February 3. I have been the Chair of the Public Relations Task Force for YPC over the last year and my position will be up for grabs. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in running for the PR Chair. I’m very excited to announce the the PR Task Force will have Twitter, Facebook, and Blog How-To guides available for the Convention. Really hope that I am able to squeeze in some time for the mountains and wide-open spaces while I’m there.
7. On the home front, the New York Farm Show will be held in Syracuse, New York from February 24-26. I hope to attend on February 25th.
8. Afterwards, I am heading to the First Annual Meeting of New York Agri-Women on February 26 at Morrisville State College. The organization’s leadership board did a fantastic job planning the event. I am really looking forward to an amazing day talking about the issues that affect New York agriculture producers and business owners. Information on registration is coming soon.
9. As I noted in this post, the following Monday, February 28th, I will be in Albany for the New York Farm Bureau‘s (“NYFB”) “Taste of New York” Legislative Reception for NYBPA. I am working with Bonnie Bargstedt on organizing the booth so if you are a member of NYBPA please contact me if you are interesting in volunteering. I hope to stay for Lobby Days on March 1st before heading back to New York City.
10. I will be heading back to Syracuse, New York for the NYFB Young Farmer & Rancher (“YF&R”) Annual Leadership Conference on March 11-12, 2011. The theme for the event is “Tradition and Technology.”
11. Finally, there will be a Long Island New York Agri-Women Meet-up on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at Laurel Lake Vineyards. The event is being organized by Vicki Gruber, Esq. She can be contacted at 516/845.8088 or vgruber@vsgpc.com for more information.
Wow. Needless to say, the next three months will be pretty busy. I’m very happy that I have such great contract attorneys and paralegals to keep things moving while I am out of the office. I should be tweeting away at the various agriculture events so if you cannot make it then follow-me at @CariRincker and or @RinckerLaw.