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 …
Legal Assistance Network for the Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers Claims Process
As I noted in this previous post, I have been trained to represent claimants for theUSDA Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers Claims Resolution Process. Those who are eligible must file no later than March 25, 2013. For those of you who may be eligible, you can find a list of the attorneys (including myself) in the Legal Assistance Network who …
In 2013, Improve the “Default” Estate Plan for your Family Farm
I make no secret on this blog about my passion for farm estate and succession planning. It is oftentimes pushed aside to be dealt with later. I wanted to note that I was interviewed by Farm Journal in this article regarding the improvement of the “default” estate planning for the family farm. I suggest that my readers look into the …
Save the Date: Farm Employment/Labor Law Webinar on Feb. 20th
I will be moderating a webinar titled “Overview of Employment and Labor Law for Farms and Ranches” on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 from 2:00- 4:00 ET for the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Agriculture Law Committee. Other faculty include Rachel Armstrong (Farm Commons), Kimbery Clarke (Varum LLP), Edward Cox (Drake University Agriculture Law Center), Karen Eichman …
Will Be Attending the New York Beef Producers’ Association’s Annual Meeting
I will be in East Syracuse on January 18-19, 2013 attending the New York Beef Producers’ Association’s Annual Meeting and Trade Show. You can review the two-day conference schedule here. I’m especially interested in hearing Dr. Bob Weaber’s update on trends with genetics, Dr. Keith Belk on the National Beef Quality Assurance (“BQA”) Audit, and Jeffry Huse from the New …
Thanks For Your Support! Best Livestock Lawyer “In the Barn”
For the second year in a row, I was selected as the Best Livestock Lawyer in the Best of the Barns Competition. Thank you to all of my beloved readers and supporters. Without you, I couldn’t live my dream. An extra special thanks to those of you who voted for me! Really appreciate it. You can see the other winners …