I’m currently conducting a blog series where each week I give an overview of the responsibilities of a government agency regulating our food and agriculture system. I think it’s a helpful reminder for everyone on just how complex our regulatory system is. It’s a game of Who’s Who for government players in the U.S. food and agriculture economy. RD is …
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 …
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 …
Harvard’s Food Law & Policy Career Guide
Big thanks to Jean Terranova (@JeanTerranova for you Twitter folks) for sending me the Food Law and Policy Career Guide by the Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic and Harvard Food Law Society. I think it’s an excellent resource for folks interested in a career in food & agriculture law. The guide briefly notes areas of concentration including agriculture, biotechnology/GMOs, …
So What Exactly Is “Big Ag?”
I spoke last month on sustainability in “Big Agriculture.” It got me thinking. What exactly is “Big Agriculture?” How do we define what is or is not “Big Ag?” And when did it become a bad name? Is it whether a farm is owned by a family or a corporation? 97% of farms are family owned. What if shareholders of …