This webinar recording covers the basics of Chapter 12 bankruptcy, including feasibility, transitional and sale plans, tax advantages, and the roles of attorneys, the court, and trustees. The panelists help dispel misconceptions about bankruptcy, demystify the Chapter 12 process, and discuss how it can serve as a tool for farm transfer and transition. This webinar was presented by Vermont Law School’s College for Agriculture and Food Systems and the Association of Chapter 12 Trustees.
Location: United States
Understanding and Negotiating Contract Terms
This guide covers the ten typical sections and provisions of a contract. It also identifies the sections that are often negotiable. Contracts can be complex and contain nuance. Protect your interests by making sure that you understand your rights and responsibilities before entering into the contract. Spending time reading and discussing the terms upfront goes a long way to ensuring that you are making the deal that you want to make.
What to Know About Entering into Contracts
A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties to exchange something of value. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to transfer any of these in the future. Contracts serve several important purposes, including formalizing relationships, outlining legal obligations, and providing a record of rights and responsibilities. This guide will explain what is needed to form a contract and the different types of contracts.
Food Safety Liability Basics
It’s every farmer or rancher’s worst nightmare: Someone claims to have gotten sick from the food they produced. No matter how safe the operation is, the risk is always there. The good news is there are ways to manage and mitigate the impacts of this risk. In this webinar, attorney Chloe Forkner Johnson of Farm Commons discusses the best practices every farmer or rancher can adopt to get a foothold in managing their food safety liability exposure.
Nonprofit Formation
Attorney and , Nourishing the North Shore
A nonprofit is a legal entity aimed at providing a collective, public or social benefit as opposed to a legal entity operating to generate money for its owners. Forming a nonprofit and maintaining a nonprofit is a relatively involved process. During this webinar we hear from attorney Ryan Barry of Bulkley Richardson who specializes in forming nonprofits and Gini Mazman, a member of the newly formed nonprofit Nourishing the North Shore. Together, they cover the ins and outs of forming a nonprofit as well as common pitfalls and best practices.
Succession Planning
Succession planning is a critical step to ensuring your business can continue to operate even if someone retires or leaves the company. Succession planning is very specific to your business and should be done with the guidance of an attorney. Attorney Eric Archer of Archer & Foppert has supported many businesses with their succession plans. During this session Eric and Jayne Merner (a farmer) illustrate what succession planning looks like, common pitfalls and tips for working with an attorney.
Fiscal Sponsorship
When looking to start a charity, many groups turn to a fiscal sponsor prior to receiving tax-exemption from the IRS. A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that “sponsors” certain charitable projects. A fiscal sponsorship is a relationship between the two parties that provides a way for a start-up charity to have an administrative “home.” This relationship allows the start-up time to administratively and financially grow and the ability to receive tax-deductible donations. A fiscal sponsor can be a very helpful steppingstone. This webinar, presented by attorneys Elizabeth Manchester and Russell Stein of Partridge Snow & Hahn, provides the information you need when considering whether to enter into a fiscal sponsor relationship.
Farm Employment Law Basics
With just a few key rules, farms can navigate employment law with confidence. Join Rachel Armstrong of Farm Commons to learn the fundamentals of farm employment law including classifying workers and the obligations of every farm employer.
Risks of Operating as a General Partnership
If a business has two or more owners, and the owners have not formed a legal entity, they are operating a general partnership. This legal guide will review the risks associated with not forming a legal entity.
Minimum Wage, Overtime, and Breaks for Farmers
Sometimes, legal basics can be more complicated than we think, and this is especially true when it comes to farm employment law. This video outlines when and how employment laws such as minimum wage, overtime, and rest breaks apply to farm businesses. We cover federal and Northeast-specific state laws in a way that helps farm owners and workers move forward.
This series is presented by the Cultivemos Legal Cohort. Cultivemos, (formerly known as FRSAN-NE, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Northeast) aims to improve behavioral health awareness, literacy, access, and outcomes for farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers in the Northeast by developing a service provider network that can assist and meet the unique needs of agricultural workers.
Easements
Easements on a piece of property significantly influence how land can be used. Attorney Andrew Marchev and Third-Year Law Student Clinician Veronica Gassert of Three Rivers Law present the different types of easements and common conditions found in each.
Introduction to Cooperatives
Cooperatives as a business structure help maximize resources and distribute profits equally among members. They can also foster a strong community since members work and vote alongside each other. This webinar, presented by attorney Erika Dunyak of Vermont Law and Graduate School, reviews the different types of cooperatives and what to consider before filing.
Branding Best Practices
As a small business owner, you want to develop and protect your brand, but you don’t yet have the funds to file for trademark protection. In this webinar, Attorney Christina Licursi of Wolf Greenfield covers steps you can take to have some level of protection from the beginning as well as when to take the plunge and file for protection.
Selling Value-Added Products on the Farm
If you are a farmer interested in opening a farmstand on your property, this webinar will teach you about key federal, state and local regulations that impact small food producers who seek to make and sell value-added products from home. We will cover what’s allowed when selling meat, eggs, dairy, cottage foods such as pickles and baked goods, and more, and explore the legal solutions that can help these businesses grow and thrive.
Presenter: Legal Services Specialist, Christine Dzujna, of Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Onboarding New Employees
Congratulations! Your small business is ready to hire your first employees. This is both an exciting and daunting process. Luckily, we have Tara Walker and Bill Wahrer of Bernstein Shur Portland, Maine who will walk you through this process. They will cover common legal traps for the hiring manager in the hiring and interview process, she will provide a checklist of best practices, and recommended documentation for your new employees.
Presenters: Attorneys Tara Walker and Bill Wahrer of Bernstein Shur
Media and Marketing 101
As a small business, you are likely using emails, text, and social media to advertise your business and communicate with your customers. You may also have your own webpage spotlighting customer reviews and other content. With all these forms of social media and communication comes a web of laws that are difficult to navigate. During this webinar, a team of attorneys from Bernstein Shur will help you detangle these laws. We will cover topics such as email, text, and social media marketing, claim substantiation, website policies, the proper use of logos and other copyrighted material, endorsements, testimonials, and customer reviews, and other hot topics in advertising law.
Presenters: Attorneys Elliot Brake, Kevan Lee Deckelmann, Chad W. Higgins, Matthew J. Saldaña
Hosting a Food Focused Event: The Legal Side of a Delicious Activity
Hosting an event with food on your farm is a great way to gather your community, educate the public about farming, and grow your business. Watch this webinar to learn about next steps to safely and legally offer samples, host a tasting, farm to table meal, or other event with food on your farm. During the session you will hear from Corie Pierce, owner of Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont and regular host of burger nights. You will also hear from Andrew Marchev, Legal Fellow at the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems and Lisa Chase, Agritourism Expert at University of Vermont Extension.
Presenters: Corie Pierce, Bread and Butter Farm Vermont, Dr. Lisa Chase, University of Vermont, Attorney Andrew Marchev, Fellow at Vermont Law School
Laws of the Land: What to Know About Your Farm BEFORE You Commit
You’ve heard the phrase ‘location, location, location’ when it comes to choosing a home. It’s no different for farmers when choosing a site for their farm business. All sites come with unique conditions that impact the farm’s viability, including physical characteristics, zoning restrictions, federal and state permitting requirements, and pre-existing third-party rights of neighbors, landlords, tenants, easement holders, or lenders. This webinar will cover the who, what, how, where, and most importantly, why, of identifying the unique characteristics and regulatory requirements tied to your future farm property before you sign on the dotted line.
Presenters: Attorneys Laura Hartz and Stacey Caulk of Drummond Woodsum
Introduction to Land Leases
In New England, many farmers choose to lease their farmland instead of buying it. It is important to think about what your farmland lease will include and advocate for yourself so that the provisions that you need are in the lease. This guide discusses several of the issues that you should think about including in your lease with the help of your lawyer.
Farmland Leases
While many farm leases are done with a handshake, this practice is not a good idea because there is no written agreement in the event of a disagreement between the parties. A well-written lease agreement will make the lease terms clear and leave less opportunity for misunderstanding and reduces the likelihood of a potential conflict between a landowner and a farmer.
Alternative Ways to Buy The Farm
This Guide explores the following alternative ways to purchase farmland:
- Seller-financed land acquisition
- Purchase by installments
- Lease with an option to purchase.
Farm Succession Advising: An Attorney Training Guide
Among beginning (and other) farmers’ biggest challenges is accessing land, including land and farms in the hands of older farmers. Therefore, how those farmers transition their farms to the next generation (family or unrelated) is of utmost importance. Land For Good’s Training Guide provides attorneys with solid legal background material and technical tools to use in assisting farmer clients to develop their farm succession plans.
Your Legal Toolkit for Starting a Farm
When you’re starting a farm business, there are lots of important legal issues to consider, from what type of business entity you’ll form to how to protect yourself from liability and plan for the future. This comprehensive webinar will equip farmers with the legal know-how to tackle these key decisions and start off on a strong legal footing.
Elements of a Farmland Lease
When a farmer works with a landowner to put together a farmland lease, there are many important considerations. This webinar will inform farmers and nonprofit farm organizations about the key elements that should be in a farmland lease.
Presenter: Jeff Polubinski, Gravel & Shea.