As some of you know, I received an A.S. in Agriculture from Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois. I was recently awarded the 2018 alumnus of the year award and will be speaking at the graduation ceremony in May ( #pressure!) . Here are some of my thoughts on my community college experience. When I reflect on my community college …
How to Calculate Temporary Spousal Maintenance in New York
Temporary spousal maintenance is money paid from the higher-earning spouse to the lesser-earning spouse. It is typically applied during the pendency of the divorce but it can also be used as a guideline when a couple is married for relief in Family Court. I have received a lot of phone calls lately from folks whose spouse decides to cut them …
Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Summer is around the corner.. and ’tis the season for unpaid interns! I recently came across this helpful factsheet from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, on internship programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The factsheet clearly defines the test that is used for determining whether the “trainee” test for interns is satisfied so that …
Thinking About the Next Generation
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 …
What is the Most Important Issue Affecting the Agriculture Industry?
When I was a child, I was fascinated with globes. I loved spinning a globe around in my parents’ livingroom searching for far away countries that I learned about in school or on television. My entire universe was in Central Illinois (with an occasional trip to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals play). It was hard for me to understand …
Why Do You Think Broadband Is Important for Rural America?
I asked this question on Twitter last week. Sometimes it is easy to take internet access for granted; however, there are still parts of the county, particularly in isolated rural areas, that don’t have access to broadband. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 appropriated $2.5 billion for broadband access for underserved communities. Perhaps some of you have seen …