I have recently become a member of the NY State Council on Divorce Mediation (“NYSCDM”). You can find me on the list of divorce mediators for New York County (Manhattan) using this search. Here is the complete list of divorce mediators. It has a nice blog you can subscribe to on information about divorce mediation. You can also follow …
Questions Farmers Should Ask When Reading Farmers’ Market Rules
As noted in my last post, I have enjoyed reading Prof. Neil Hamilton’s publication titled “Farmers’ Markets: Rules, Regulations and Opportunities.” He includes a nice list of questions for farmers/vendors to ask themselves when reviewing the Market Rules for a particular farmers’ market which include: (1) Who sponsors the farmers’ market? (2) How long as the farmers’ market been established? …
Legal Issues Pertaining to Farmers Markets and its “Market Rules”
I had a chance recently to review Prof. Neil Hamilton’s publication titled “Farmers’ Markets: Rules, Regulations and Opportunities.” Though it was drafted nearly a decade ago, he does a nice job highlighting legal issues relevant to todays’ farmers markets. As Prof. Hamilton states, it’s important for the farmer to clearly understand the “Market Rules” (or “Statement of Rules”) for each …
Local Food Law CLE at Pace Law School Rescheduled for Spring
The Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) seminar at Pace Law School giving a “Survey of Local Food Law” in New York has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 13, 2013. It was originally scheduled for October 29th — the day Hurricane Sandy decided to pay a visit to the East Coast. I hope that you will plan to attend the adjourned spring …
Land Use Tools for Promoting Urban & Suburban Agriculture
According to Dean Patricia Salkin in American Bar Association’s “Counseling the Local Food Movement” (May 2012), the following zoning tools can be used to promote small-scale agriculture production within city limits: Comprehensive Plans. This is the over-arching plan upon which land use regulations are adopted. It is important that the comprehensive plan itself emphasize the importance of small-scale commercial agriculture …
Ask Cari: “When Can I Obtain an Order of Protection in NY Family Court?”
Family Court and Supreme Court has concurrent jurisdiction on family offenses. An indigent person may receive court-appointed representation in Family Court if they are under a certain income threshold. Family Offenses are crimes; therefore, Criminal Court also has jurisdiction over family offenses. In order for one party to bring a family offense petition in Family Court, one of the following …
New York Office of Community Gardens
While reading this publication, I was reminded about the New York Office of Community Gardens with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets. Pursuant to NY Ag & Mkts Article 2-C, Section 31-h, the duties of the office are as follows: (1) identify vacant public land suitable for community gardens; (2) coordinate interested community groups with appropriate state or local …
A Quick Review on Land Use Law
I have enjoyed reading through the Harvard Law School’s Food Law & Policy Clinic’s publication titled “Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Local Food Policy to Work for Our Communities.” Section III (beginning on page 30) does a nice job giving a cursory overview of land use law. As the article correctly states, the authority to regulate land use is derived …
Business Sponsor of New York Agri-Women Conference in New York City
Happy Columbus Day! Rincker Law, PLLC is the proud business sponsor of the New York Agri-Women event in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The day is bookended with tours of two prominent rooftop farms in New York City including Brooklyn Grange and Eagle Street Farm. The group will also tour Anarchy in a Jar’s Jam Facility in Brooklyn. …
Ask Cari: “Can I Leave the Marital Home Before the Divorce is Commenced?”
I am frequently asked this question during divorce consultations. There is a fear out there due to the law of abandonment that a spouse will hurt his/her legal position in a divorce if he/she vacates the marital home before the divorce is commenced. “Actual abandonment” is still a ground for divorce in the state of New York; however, the departure …
New York Law on “Cottage Food Operations” (or Home Processed Food)
One of the several topics that I will be covering on October 29th at this seminar at Pace Law School will be New York Cottage Food Operation Law (i.e., Home Processed Food or Home-Based Kitchens). I want to stress that the seminar is open to the general public (only $15) so I highly encourage my readers in New York to …
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 …