Hear me discuss in this short video why farmers (and those marrying them!) should have a prenuptial agreement.
Three Estate Planning Mistakes Farmers and Ranchers Make and How to Avoid Them
Farming or ranching is more than a means of livelihood – it is about preserving a legacy and unique way of life. Unfortunately, many farmers and ranchers fail to make an estate plan. The farm or ranch that has been passed down for generations then ends up being sold and converted into non-agricultural use, cutting the legacy short and ending …
Family Law Issues in Agriculture: Fact Sheets with the National Agriculture Law Center
I just love it when my writing hits the press! And I especially love it when it combines my two passion areas — family law and agriculture law. I am honored to have authored the Fact Sheets on family law issues in agriculture with the National Agriculture Law Center. You can review them individually here or the packet here.
Choice of Business Entities For Illinois Farmers & Agri-Businesses
[slideshare id=90556988&doc=businessentities-180313203829] I’m looking forward to speaking on Friday at the Women in Ag Conference in Rock Island, Illinois on choices of business entities. The above presentation gives a nice overview of various choices in Illinois including sole proprietorships, partnerships (general and limited), corporations, limited liability companies, etc.
Horses + Divorces, Grapes + Gripes, and Romantic Farmer Prenups
I’m talking the intersect between family/matrimonial law and agriculture in Tiffany Dowell Lashmet’s podcast “Ag Law in the Field”. I’m on Episode 4 and you can listen to the podcast interview here or download it via iTunes. I talk about why I love prenups and Alternative Dispute Resolution with divorce, especially in the contest of agriculture. I also give some …
What Livestock Producers Should Know About the Veterinary Feed Directive
In June 2015, the Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) promulgated the second Veterinary Feed Directive (“VFD”) affecting livestock producers that use medicated feed and water. The final rule became effective in October 2015 transitioning Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) drugs to be VFD through January 1, 2017. This requires veterinarians to have a Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (“VCPR”) and use a VFD to prescribe the …
Lawline Presentation: Overview of Common Agriculture Contacts
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/aYx8HfACKKg” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe> Here is the video of the presentation that I gave to Lawline this past summer on an Overview of Common Agriculture Contracts. You can download the slides and the presentation materials that go along with this presentation and get Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) credits (for you lawyers out there) via Lawline here. This …
Overview of Agriculture Production Contracts
An agriculture production contract is an agreement where a producer agrees to raise a commodity in a manner established by the contractor and to deliver the commodity to the contractor while the contractor agrees to pay the producer in return. A commodity can include livestock, raw milk, and crops. Livestock may include beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and swine, while …
New York Fence Law
In New York, property owners grazing livestock are required to erect, maintain and repair the fenceline. Under New York Town Law § 300, each owner of two adjoining tracts of land is required to erect and maintain a fence to keep his/her grazing animals separate, unless they agree (in writing) to let their lands lie open to allow the animals to …
Livestock Purchase Agreements
Purchasing livestock can be a complicated process, particularly when it comes to the agreement. Before signing a purchase agreement for livestock, whether commercial or seedstock, there are certain terms that should be included. For commercial livestock purchase agreements, the following terms should be part of agreement: Description of Animals: The type of animal to be purchased and description of the …