NY Agric. & Mkts § 300 et seq. sets forth agricultural districts in the State of New York. “The socio-economic vitality of agriculture in this state is essential to the economic stability and growth of many local communities and the state as a whole. It is, therefore, the declared policy of the state to conserve, protect and encourage the development …
New York Sanitation Requirements for Direct Marketing of Food Products
New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets (“NYSDAM”) has sanitation requirements for the direct marketing of food products. Pursuant to Article 17, NYSDAM regulates the food sanitary conditions of “retail food stores.” Said “retail food stores” do not include roadside stands, on-farm outlets, and farmers’ markets. Even though farmers participating in these methods are still subject to inspection, if …
On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Guide for the New York Farmer
I want to commend the Cornell Small Farms Program for its publication titled “On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Guidelines” (available on its resources page). I reviewed the guide in its entirety in preparation for the local food CLE that was scheduled at Pace Law School in October (rescheduled for March 13th due to Hurricane Sandy). I recommend the guide to any farmer …
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 …
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 …
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. …
Interview with Dr. Temple Grandin
I have previously noted on this blog my admiration for Dr. Temple Grandin as an animal scientist. She truly is an extraordinary woman and has done so much for the livestock industry. Last night, I was reading National Cattlemen’s Beef Association‘s (“NCBA”)Beef Issues Quarterly for Fall 2010 and on Page 23 there is a great interview with Dr. Temple Grandin. …
Spring Cleaning: Animal Handling Procedures in Employee Handbooks
I have written blogs/articles and have spoken on livestock animal cruelty law in New York and my various recommendations for building a defense. Among them, I recommend that livestock producers have an employee handbook in place that enumerates recommended animal handling procedures and regularly train employees on those procedures. An employee handbook is not a contract but is instead a general …
NYFB Farm Animal Welfare Symposium: Why Isn’t Good Care Enough?
I will be speaking at the New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”) Farm Animal Welfare Symposium titled “Why Isn’t Good Care Enough?” in Syracuse on April 7, 2011. The event is closed to NYFB members only. Kay Johnson Smith, the Executive Vice President of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers on the panel include Steve Kopperud …