While reading this publication, I was reminded about the New York Office of Community Gardens with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets. Pursuant to NY Ag & Mkts Article 2-C, Section 31-h, the duties of the office are as follows: (1) identify vacant public land suitable for community gardens; (2) coordinate interested community groups with appropriate state or local …
Member of the Technology & Research Roundtable
Howdy! I’m in Nashville, Tennessee at the American Agriculture Law Association (“AALA”) Annual Meeting. I will be speaking tomorrow afternoon on technology in my food & agriculture law practice. If you are at AALA, please make sure to come by. You can find the full list of speakers here. In case you missed it, this article in the American Bar …
Video Presentation from Texas A & M University, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Award Presentation
I was in College Station, Texas last week at my alma mater receiving the Outstanding Early Career Award from Texas A & M University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. You can see the video here. I’m very proud to have gone to a program that upholds integrity and a code of ethics in addition to intellectual horsepower and discovery. …
A Quick Review on Land Use Law
I have enjoyed reading through the Harvard Law School’s Food Law & Policy Clinic’s publication titled “Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Local Food Policy to Work for Our Communities.” Section III (beginning on page 30) does a nice job giving a cursory overview of land use law. As the article correctly states, the authority to regulate land use is derived …
Texas A & M University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Early Career Award
Exciting news! I’m flying to College Station, Texas this morning. Tomorrow I will be receiving an Early Career Award from Texas A & M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (along with Ms. Rachel Cutrer from Ranch House Designs, Inc.). I am incredibly humbled by this award and very thankful to all my friends and family who have supported …
Does Your Farm or Agri-Business Need a “Power Audit?”
I really love Neil Harl’s book titled “Farm Estate & Business Planning.” He briefly talks about the “power issue” when it comes to farm families and warns folks to consider this issue when formulating an estate plan. He illustrates this point with the following example: “An aggressive, able farmer died unexpectedly just days short of his 50th birthday. The business, …
Business Sponsor of New York Agri-Women Conference in New York City
Happy Columbus Day! Rincker Law, PLLC is the proud business sponsor of the New York Agri-Women event in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The day is bookended with tours of two prominent rooftop farms in New York City including Brooklyn Grange and Eagle Street Farm. The group will also tour Anarchy in a Jar’s Jam Facility in Brooklyn. …
Ask Cari: “Can I Leave the Marital Home Before the Divorce is Commenced?”
I am frequently asked this question during divorce consultations. There is a fear out there due to the law of abandonment that a spouse will hurt his/her legal position in a divorce if he/she vacates the marital home before the divorce is commenced. “Actual abandonment” is still a ground for divorce in the state of New York; however, the departure …
New York Law on “Cottage Food Operations” (or Home Processed Food)
One of the several topics that I will be covering on October 29th at this seminar at Pace Law School will be New York Cottage Food Operation Law (i.e., Home Processed Food or Home-Based Kitchens). I want to stress that the seminar is open to the general public (only $15) so I highly encourage my readers in New York to …
“The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy”
If you haven’t read the Congressional Research Service (“CRS”) Report titled “The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy” then I recommend doing so. Prof. Neil Hamilton included it in the materials for this local food CLE last spring and I finally got a chance to review it. It’s chalk-full of helpful information, statistics, and data. The publication …
Grow NYC Report on Greenmarket Farmers: “Farmers on the Edge”
Last month, I had an opportunity to visit with someone at Grow NYC (who runs Greenmarket), who shared this report with me (funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation): “Farmers on the Edge: An Assessment of Greenmarket Farmers’ Needs, and the Growing Challenges of Keeping Their Farms Viable.” I finally had an opportunity to review the report in detail. It …
ABA GP Solo Agriculture Law Committee to Meet at AALA
The American Bar Association (“ABA”) General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s (“GP Solo”) Agriculture Law Committee (which I chair) will meet in person on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 7:00am (yep you read that correctly – 7 bells) at the American Agriculture Law Association (“AALA”) Annual Agriculture Law Conference at the Sheratan in Nashville, Tennessee. Bright & early! (Don’t …