University of Illinois Extension offers Farm Commons Webinar Series

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[November 10, 2014]  The University of Illinois Extension will be hosting four Farm Commons webinars at the University of Illinois Extension office in Springfield in December and January.

The webinars are free, but you must register at http://farmcommons.org/webinars  to attend. You then have two options: you can view the webinar at your own home/office or you can attend at the University of Illinois Extension office, 700 S. Airport Drive in Springfield.

Each webinar will provide lots of time for questions, input from farmers themselves, and true stories about folks who have been there. In Springfield, we will have local experts at each of the webinars including Andy Heck, Prairie City Farm, Wes King, Executive Director, Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Rebecca Osland, an attorney in Springfield, providing legal advice and planning services to people involved in local food and local businesses.

The featured webinars will include:

The Beginning Farmer’s Introduction to Farm Law
Monday, December 8,
2:00-3:30 p.m.

Beginning farmers will get a preview of the many legal issues they should consider when just starting out with farming. What business entity should a farmer choose? Which insurance policies are really important? What about that farmland lease- when should it be written down and what should it say? Is there anything to know about farmers’ market sales, volunteers, or working with family members? This webinar will touch on all of these questions and more.

Put Your CSA on Strong Legal Footing
Tuesday, December 9,
2:00-3:30 p.m.

CSA is an incredibly unique relationship between farmer and customer. But, this means it also has unique legal dynamics. CSA farmers who critically analyze their membership agreement, drop sites, and farm event programs beforehand set themselves up for success. Learn how an attorney sees CSA and what you can do to protect your farm. This webinar will also discuss risks with farm volunteer programs and buying the right insurance.

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 Hosting Safe, Legally Secure Farm Events
Monday, January 5,
2:00-3:30 p.m.

On-farm events are a great way to build support in the community. And, they’re a lot of fun! But as the saying goes, it’s only fun until someone loses an eye. Make sure your farm isn’t left with the short end of the stick after a good-intentioned event goes bad. From zoning compliance to guest injuries and serving prepared food, we’ll work through a checklist of things a farm should address before hosting an event.
 

Adding Value without Adding Legal Liability to Farm Products
Tuesday, January 6,
2:00-3:30 p.m.

Although starting a processing operation, improving packaging, and developing new products are great ways to make the farm more profitable, these activities have a huge legal impact. Employment laws, liability potential, state/federal regulations, and tax factors all change when a farm begins to process product. Farms relying on cottage food laws should make sure to attend- we’ll talk about what these laws do not do to protect farms.

For more information, contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Extension Educator at 217-782-4617, cvnghgrn@illinois.edu

[Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, University of Illinois]

 

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