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. …
Happy Belated Labor Day
I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Labor Day. I had a great time at the New York State Fair over the weekend with my father. You can find several of the pictures that I took during the open beef show on my Twitter page (@CariRincker). I always gain a newfound passion for the food industry every time …
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 …
Livestock Feedyards and Potential Liability Issues
If you haven’t done so already, I suggest reviewing the “Livestock & Liability” article by Lauren P. Caggiano (@lcagg on Twitter) on pages 32-34 in this issue of the Feedlot magazine. In this article, I recommend that cattle feedyard operators seek counsel on environmental laws and perhaps hire a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (“CAFO”) consultant to devise a plan to …
Will Be Attending the New York State Fair
I will be at the New York State Fair (“NYSF”) in Syracuse from August 29-30 and September 1-2. State Fair time is my favorite time of year. I am a big believer in 4-H and believe that hard work teaches kids how to become good people. I attribute most of my success in life to the fact that I have …
Looking Back: Two-Year Blogging Anniversary
Seems like just yesterday I was driving across South Dakota with my dog Taylor before starting Rincker Law, PLLC and this blog. It’s been a great ride so far. Big thank you to my friends, family, colleagues, contract attorneys/legal assistants, clients and blog readers for all your support. It’s been a busy year indeed. Over the last year, I am …
Liability in Highway Accidents Involving Livestock
There was an interesting article on page 5 of the May 16, 2011 edition of County Folks by Jay Girvin, Esq. of Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C. about whether a livestock owners can be held liable if their animal wanders off their farm and causes a highway accident. You can review the full article online here. Mr. Girvin accurately noted that …
Monday Links
I hope all my readers had a nice weekend. After a tough workout, I was able to catch-up on my NetNewsWire Google Reader feed yesterday over a warm cup of coffee. I thought the following posts were worth noting: 1. I have worked as a legal consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (“FAO”) of the United Nations in Rome. …
Information on the Existing Voluntary National Animal Identification System
I know that it has been a while since the agriculture community has talked about the National Animal Identification System (“NAIS”). As most of my readers know, the program is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (“APHIS”) and participation is currently voluntary. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) expressed concern over NAIS. In February …
Lots of Upcoming Events on the Horizon. . .
I’m very excited for a busy winter with agriculture conferences and events. I love being a New Yorker and living in NYC but it is always nice to get a break from the hustle and bustle and be around others that share my passions and interests. Here are a few agriculture events coming up that I will be attending: 1. …
Beef Policy: Follow the New York Beef Producers’ Association Legislative Updates
I am on the New York Beef Producers’ Association (“NYBPA”) Government Relations Committee with Nicole Tommell from Fonda, New York. Together we have started a Facebook page to start keeping the membership updated on state and local policy that may affect New York beef producers. You can also follow the legislative alerts on Twitter @NYBeefLeg. I will also be blogging …
Labor Day Links
I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day! I spent my Labor Day having some good ol’ Texas BBQ and enjoying the street fair in Manhattan. Here are some links for your Labor Day reading: 1. I spent Sunday afternoon listening to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Department of Justice public workshops. It is definitely worth a listen for livestock producers (particularly cattle folks). …