The National Agriculture Law Center has reported that approximately 90% of agricultural operations do not survive the transition to the next generation. I have to say- that statistic is a bit alarming. The primary reason for this is poor succession planning. Estate planning is just one part of workable succession plan. Estate planning focuses on asset distribution while succession planning …
Upcoming ABA Crop & Livestock Insurance CLE
As part of my new leadership role with the American Bar Association (“ABA”) General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Agriculture Law Committee, I have been busy helping plan a Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) webinar on crop and livestock insurance. This program will lay down the fundamental building blocks for practicing either crop and or livestock insurance law. Please mark your …
My Top 10 Law Blawgs in the Top 100 List (Drumroll please….)
To piggy back on this post announcing that this blog made the ABA Journal Top 100 Blawg List, I thought it would be appropriate to list a few of my favorites. Here are my top 10 (in no particular order): 1. Equine Law Blog – Alison Rowe, a fellow agriculture attorney, is an exceptional writer and brilliant equine lawyer in …
“Fridays with Cari” Webinar Series Kicks Off Today
I’m excited for my new webinar series titled “Fridays with Cari.” I will be discussing a variety of agriculture issues with my Friday webinar series ranging from livestock animal cruelty law to estate planning. I believe that legal information should be affordable for everyone in the food and agriculture industry and I hope that my webinars will be educational to …
Noteworthy Blog Posts for Young Cattle Producers
I had a guest post today on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Producer’s (“NCBA”) Young Producers’ Council’s (“YPC”) blog, Cattle Call, noting some of my blog posts that may be applicable to young cattle producers. If you have not done so already, I recommend subscribing to the Cattle Call RSS Feed. I was the founding editor of this blog and it …
Arguments Over Fencelines? Law of Adverse Possession
Sometimes farms and ranches may have fencelines up for generations and then one day a land survey will tell a different story. An article by Jay Girvin in the July 18, 2011 issue of Country Folks reminded me about this potential issue affecting the agriculture community. In these cases, the law of adverse possession applies. This is a common law …
“The Times They Are A Changin'” – But Is Your Employee Handbook Keeping Up?
In the words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a changin.’” But I wonder if farms, ranches and agri-businesses are keeping up with the changing times. I recently read Don Tyler’s article in this month’s issue of the Feedlot magazine titled “Are Activists Courting Your Employees?” Let’s face reality — livestock operations should be concerned of the possibility that animal …
Fridays With Cari – Upcoming Webinar Series
Thanks to Ranch House Designs, there have been a few changes recently to www.rinckerlaw.com. I would like to bring your attention to the new “Events” page located here. Beginning in November, I am starting a new webinar series titled “Fridays with Cari” that will focus on a myriad of food and agriculture law issues including New York livestock animal cruelty …
Proposed Rule for Animal Disease Traceability
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (“APHIS”) issued the long-awaited proposed rule on Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate. The new proposed system will replace the National Animal Identification System (“NAIS”) and will be primarily managed at the state level. The USDA is currently seeking comments on the proposed rule for Animal Disease Traceability. …
The Family Business: Hiring and Firing Family Members
I really enjoyed reading the article by Don Tyler titled “Working with Family — Hiring (and Firing) Family Members in this month’s Feedlot magazine (pages 36, 38). It reminded me of the unique challenges that family businesses must face — whether it is a family farm/ranch or any other type of business. Intra-family dynamics can seriously affect the day-to-day operations …
Will Be Speaking on Farm/Ranch Partnerships at the AALA Symposium
I will be a panelist speaking on partnerships on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the American Agriculture Law Association (“AALA”) 32nd Annual Agriculture Law Symposium in Austin, Texas. The name of the session is “Partnerships: The Neglected, The Disaster and The Desirable Plan.” We will be talking about partnerships with farms, ranches and agri-businesses. The moderator for the session is …
ABA Agriculture Law Subcommittees
As I noted in this previous post, I am the new Chair of the American Bar Association (“ABA”), General Practice, Solo and Small Firm’s Division, Agriculture Law Committee. You can join the Committee and the Discussion List here. I have restructured the subcommittees as follows: 1. Ag ADR: mediation, arbitration 2. Ag Estate/Succession Planning, Family Law, and Taxation: estate planning,succession …