I gave the below presentation at Pace Law School last night. It was great being back at my alma mater. The recording is available for purchase from Pace Law School’s CLE program. Jason Foscolo handled the first part of the presentation speaking on direct marketing, food labeling, the Food Safety Modernization Act and raw milk. I touch upon several other …
Quick Summary of Trademarks for Farms, Agri-Businesses and Food Entrepreuners
Over the last year I have received numerous inquires from farms, agri-businesses and food entrepreneurs about the importance of trademarks and the application process. This post seeks to give a cursory overview of a few common questions that come my way. Trademarks vs. Service Marks Put simply, a trademark is an identifying mark for consumers in connection with particular goods …
Mediator for the New York State Agriculture Mediation Program (NYSAMP)
Since completing the mediation apprenticeship program with the New York Peace Institute, my Community Dispute Resolution Center (“CDRC”) in Manhattan and Brooklyn, I have been admitted to the roster of mediators for the New York State Agriculture Mediation Program (“NYSAMP”). NYSAMP works with the CDRC’s in each country throughout New York to provide free mediation services for the New York …
Save the Date: Food Labeling Webinar
I will be moderating a food labeling Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) webinar for the American Bar Association (“ABA”), General Practice, Solo and Small Firm’s Division’s Agriculture Law Committee titled “Counseling Farmers, Food Entrepreneurs, and Restaurants on Food Labeling Law.” Faculty members include Dr. Stan Benda, Jason Foscolo, Alan Fowler, Erin Hawley, Leon Letter, Lindsey Peebles, Amy Salberg, and Jean Terranova. The live webinar will last from 2-4pm ET …
Drafting Embryo Transfer Contracts for Livestock Producers
I will be speaking at the Texas Bar CLE Agriculture Law Conference on May 23-24, 2013 at Texas Tech University, School of Law on drafting embryo transfer contracts for livestock producers. I will also (very briefly) touch on artificial insemination, ultrasound, suggested sales terms from livestock breed associations, cloning, and a few other cutting edge topics affecting the seedstock livestock …
Employment and Labor Law for Farms and Ranches
I’m super excited for this upcoming webinar that I’m moderating next week on employment and labor law for farms and ranches. The faculty have put together outstanding materials for the attendees. The webinar is open to the general public. Lawyers will be able to obtain CLE credit. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to register to reserve …
Pace Law School: Survey to Food and Agriculture Law
Exciting news! I will be teaching a 1 credit summer course at Pace Law School, my alum, that will give a cursory overview of the laws regulating the U.S. food and agriculture system. The class will touch on the various practice areas affecting production agriculture and food entrepreneurs including farm programs, disaster assistance, environmental law, financing, right-to-farm, employment/labor law, livestock …
Completion of Community Mediation Apprenticeship
As I noted in this post, I have been participating in the New York Peace Institute’s Community Mediation Apprenticeship Program. I started my journey in December 2011 by completing the 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training. I then started the 13 – week classroom portion of the apprenticeship in January 2012. New York Peace Institute has strict standards for its apprenticeship program …
“Agvocacy”, Social Media and Livestock Judging
I will be speaking on agriculture advocacy (“advocacy”), social media (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, Pinterist, Google+, Tumblr, Quora, YouTube, Instagram, FourSquare and About.Me), marketing online, and livestock judging at the Oneida County Cooperative Extension Office in Oriskany, New York on Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The cost for 4-H members is $10 and the cost for …
Picking the Right Management for Your Limited Liability Company
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 company to be member-managed or …
Ask Cari: Is Rental Income from a Farm Lease Self-Employment Taxable for Social Security Purposes?
I was recently posed this question from a farmer close to retirement concerned about social security. He has been farming his whole life and would like to shift into a landlord role. In way of background, you must have a certain number of credits under the social security system before receiving social security based eligible quarters. A farmer may have …
Interview with M.A. Granovsky, Author of “Poison Pill”
I recently got a chance to interview Maria Granovsky, the author of Poison Pill. Maria is a patent litigator here in New York City. Like every area of the law, intellectual property (patents, trademarks, and copyrights) very much affects the food and agriculture industry. This book gives an inside look at patent litigation, from a big firm perspective. Maria uses her …