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 …
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 …
“Goodnight Irene”
“Good night Irene Good night…” I have fond memories from my days at Texas A & M University–that classic song plays every time the Dixie Chicken on North Gate in College Station closes down for the evening (you can watch Willie Nelson’s version here) to let everyone know to stop playing 42 and go home for the night. I decided …
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 …
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 …
Already Married? What You Need To Know About Post-Nuptial Agreements
In some states, such a New York, couples are allowed to enter into an agreement after a marriage or civil union called a post-nuptial agreement discussing things such as, but not restricted to, the division of property (real property, personal property such as livestock, cash assets), child support, spousal maintenance, and a restriction on relocation (e.g., spouse cannot relocate out …
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. …
Approaching Wedding Season: Is a Prenuptial Agreement Prudent for Your Agriculture Business?
For those of you who missed it, in this previous post last fall I discussed why I thought prenuptial (“prenups”) agreements were “romantic.” Last night, I came across this Fact Sheet by Chris Zoller and David Marrison from The Ohio State University Extension Office discussing prenuptial agreements for farms. The Fact Sheet properly states that “[f]arm and agriculture businesses often …
“Peace Officers”: New York Is Not Alone….
If you have been following this blog then you know that I have written several posts and articles relating to livestock animal cruelty law in New York. Pursuant to New York Agriculture & Markets Law, duly incorporated animal societies (principally the New York Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (“SPCA”)) can obtain warrants to search and seize farm animals. …
Will Be Speaking at the 2011 NYFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference
I am very excited to be one of the speakers at the 2011 New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”) Young Farmers & Ranchers (“YF&R”) Leadership Conference from March 11 to March 12 at the Holiday Inn in Syracuse/Liverpool, NY. This year’s theme is “Tradition and Technology.” I think this is a great topic as young agriculture producers and business people struggle …
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. …