What should farms in Massachusetts consider when hiring employees? What are the rules of the road for agricultural workers in the Commonwealth. These two webinars from 2018 and 2024 cover key information for complying with Massachusetts employment law. Both webinars cover worker classification, overtime, agricultural labor exceptions, minimum wages (note that the amounts changed from 2018 to 2024), and comparing Massachusetts and federal employment laws, and how to know which applies.
Attorney Beth O’Neal of Conn Kavanaugh also covers the following in her 2018 presentation:
- Consequences of employee misclassification
- 2018 federal unpaid intern guidance
Attorney Sean Fontes of Partridge Snow & Hahn also covers the following in his 2024 presentation:
- A deeper dive into agricultural labor
- Leave and sick time
- Unemployment insurance
- Paying minors
- 2024 federal independent contractor classification rule
El trabajo agrícola se trata de manera diferente a otros tipos de empleo según la ley; sin embargo, a veces es difícil realizar lo que se considera trabajo agrícola. Esta guía está destinada a ayudar a los agricultores de Massachusetts a determinar qué es trabajo agrícola, que no lo es, y por qué es importante. Aprenderás:
- ¿Qué es el trabajo agrícola en Massachusetts?
- Reglas de salario mínimo y horas extras para empleados agrícolas
- Reglas de salario mínimo y horas extras para empleados regulares
Esta guía es un resumen de problemas legales importantes que un agricultor en Massachusetts debe conocer. Incluye información sobre:
- Cuándo se debe trabajar con un abogado
- Cómo crear una estructura de negocios
- Cómo acceder a tierras agrícolas a través del alquiler o la compra
- Las consideraciones a tomar cuando se hace un borrador y cuando se firma un contrato
- Algunas de las consideraciones de impuestos para los agricultores
Esta guía provee un esquema básico sobre los problemas legales a considerar para su finca/ tierras agrícolas. Es un punto para comenzar a pensar en ciertos tipos de asuntos. Esta guía no constituye consejo legal y usted debe contactar a un abogado si usted tiene alguna pregunta sobre estos temas.
Le animamos a buscar ayuda legal si usted tiene preguntas o preocupaciones acerca de cómo cualquiera de estos problemas discutidos se aplica en sus operaciones individuales. Usted puede comenzar por contactar al Centro Legal de Alimentos (Legal Food Hub), donde proveen asistencia legal gratuita para aquellos agricultores que sean elegibles a través de legalfoodhub@clf.org o llamando a 1-844-LAW GROW. Para aprender más sobre el Centro Legal de Alimentos, visite www.legalfoodhub.org .
Agricultural work is treated differently from other types of employment under the law; however, it is sometimes difficult to what qualifies as agricultural work. This guide is intended to help Massachusetts farmers determine what is agricultural work, what is not, and why it matters. You will learn:
- What is Agricultural Work in Massachusetts
- Minimum wage and overtime rules for agricultural employees
- Minimum wage and overtime rules for regular employees
Sara Dewey and Mary Rose Scozzafava of the Conservation Law Foundation review the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule and what it will mean for Massachusetts farmers. Topics include: what is the produce safety rule, how does it relate to the Commonwealth Quality Program, and what inspections will look like for farmers in 2020.
Did you know that Boston has an ordinance that covers urban farming? Article 89 is part of the Boston land zoning laws. It covers urban agriculture activities in Boston such as farming, hydroponics and beekeeping and more. The City of Boston prepared this guide to demystify the language of the actual rule. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of:
- the rules covering land use and permitting requirements
- the permitted location and size of ground-level farms, roof-top farms and freight farms
- soil safety guidelines for urban farming
- keeping bees and chickens.
This guide to farm & food law in Massachusetts is a reference for attorneys, designed to orient you to key legal issues facing farmers in the state. It provides background on small-scale farming and food business practices in Massachusetts, reviews key food and agricultural laws and legal issues, and provides references for more in-depth information.
The guide contains chapters on the following topics: Massachusetts farming and the local food economy, business structures, food safety, farm transitions, farmland acquisition, bankruptcy, and taxation.
Chapter 61 programs offer a property tax break for landowners willing to keep their land undeveloped for a specified period of time. This guide provides all you need to know about the Massachusetts Chapter 61 Tax program. After reading this guide, you will know:
- description of Chapter 61 programs in forestry, agriculture and open space
- minimum acreage to qualify for the program
- types of land eligible for the Chapter 61 programs
- tax benefits of the Chapter 61 programs
- what happens if you withdraw from the program
This informative guide was prepared by University of Massachusetts Extension.
This policy advocacy guide is aimed at farmers, food entrepreneurs, nonprofits, activists, and anyone interested in driving policy solutions to make long-lasting change. It is designed to be a tool to help you understand the policymaking process in Massachusetts and how to develop high-impact advocacy campaigns. Using these strategies, you and your allies can contribute to creating policy that helps the food system thrive.
Across New England, community kitchens are springing up to support food entrepreneurs, improve access to locally grown food, and support local farmers. This guide helps community kitchens and kitchen users – including small businesses and nonprofit groups – understand how to make use of these invaluable spaces and how to comply with the laws governing their operation.
Farmers have a lot to consider when bringing on employees. This guide for Massachusetts farmers takes you step by step through the key areas of law you need to understand when hiring on farm. It is a great starting place for farmers looking to understand the rules of the road.
What do farmers need to know to legally bring on a farm apprentice? The laws governing apprenticeships can be complicated, and it is important for farmers to understand how to comply with wage and hour laws. Andrew Dennington, a partner at Conn Kavanaugh in Boston, presents on this important topic in a recording from the NOFA/Mass winter conference in 2018.
Community kitchens can provide entrepreneurs and community groups a crucial link to building food businesses or running community food programs. This webinar shares some of the considerations for using shared community kitchen space legally, safely and successfully. The webinar includes an introduction to community use of kitchens, understanding the basics of what community and residential kitchens are and are not allowed to do, key legal considerations for community kitchens, and a case study of a successful food entrepreneur working who started in a shared kitchen.
This webinar was produced by Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in partnership with Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Conservation Law Foundation, Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, Franklin County Community Development Corporation, and Whole Harmony.
What is food policy? How can Food Policy Councils shape it? And what is the current landscape of food policy advocacy in Massachusetts? Learn about these topics from Sara Dewey (CLF) and Brittany Peats (MA Food System Collaborative) in our webinar, Putting Food Policy Councils to Work: Advancing Food Policy in Massachusetts. The webinar will cover the following topics: (1) the basics of what Food Policy Councils are and what they can do; (2) an introduction to food policy and how Food Policy Councils can shape policy at all levels of government; and (3) updates about food policy in Massachusetts and opportunities for Food Policy Councils to get involved.