This is Part 3 of a 6 Part Blog Series on “How to Make a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Request“. Please stay tuned for the other blogs for the full picture! Step 3: Draft and Mail Your Written FOIA Request Letter You cannot make a FOIA request to a federal agency over the telephone. All FOIA requests must be …
Alleged Violation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? Overview of a “Charge Letter”
Retailers who accept SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are subject to random inspections by undercover United State Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) inspectors. The undercover inspectors check to see if retailers are selling unauthorized items or if the retailer is involved in trafficking, which is the exchange of money for food stamps. In the event that the undercover investigator …
How to Make a Freedom of Information Act Request- Part 2
This is Part 2 of a 6 Part Blog Series on “How to Make a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Request“. Please stay tuned for the other blogs for the full picture! Step 2: Choose The Government Agency or Agencies To Request Documents On either the federal or state level, there is not one central office that manages all …
How to Make a Freedom of Information Act Request – Part 1
This is Part 1 of a 6 Part Blog Series on “How to Make a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) Request“. Please stay tuned for the other blogs for the full picture! Step 1: Decide If It Is Necessary To File a FOIA Request Not all agency records require a written FOIA request. In 1996, Congress passed the Electronic Freedom of Information …
Alleged Violation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? Creating an Effective Training Policy for Retailers Accepting SNAP Benefits
One of the most important parts of becoming an authorized retailer that accepts SNAP benefits is to ensure that employees are properly trained in the policies of accepting food stamps. The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) requires that all SNAP authorized firms be able to demonstrate that there is an established training policy in place as well as a …
Recording Available for Food & Ag Law Insurance CLE
One of the most common questions that I get from food and farm clients has to do with insurance. It affects every kind of business (including law practices!). It’s important for food and agriculture lawyers to have a cursory understanding on the breadth of issues that can arise with insurance in dealing with food and agriculture clients. Because of this, …
Recording Available for ABA Webinar on Intellectual Property for the Food and Ag Lawyer
For those of you who missed it, the recording of the intellectual property (“IP”) webinar that I moderated for the American Bar Association (“ABA”) General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Agriculture Law Committee last November is now available for purchase. Even though I love participating in the live webcasts in case I have a question to ask, recordings are …
Alleged Violation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? Compliance Policy for SNAP Regulations
Any business licensed to accept SNAP benefits must have a training policy in place to teach employees appropriate procedures for accepting food stamps. Having a good training policy is only helpful if SNAP authorized retailers also have a compliance policy in effect to ensure that the regulations are being properly followed. Compliance policies that the United States Department of Agriculture …
Outline on Various Local Food Law Issues
I am a panelist next month in Tennessee and “Agritourism, CSA’s and Direct to Consumer Sales.” This outline was prepared for this panel. It contains both New York and Tennessee nuances. It discusses statistics re local food from the USDA Census of Agriculture and delves into Community Supported Agriculture, Farmers’ Markets, Agrotourism, Volunteer Farm Labor and Employment Law, On-Farm Poultry Slaughter, …