NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. — RU Ready to Farm, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Farmer Training Program, will be hosting the Farm Commons workshop “Discovering Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Farmers and Ranchers” during the NJVGA conference this year. This workshop will cover the ten best practices for legal resilience for farmers and ranchers. Instead of a series of dense lectures about the law, this interactive workshop will examine real-world scenarios that have impacted actual farmers. It will teach students concrete steps to reduce their farm business’s legal risk.
Most farmers love the production aspect of agriculture: growing crops, raising livestock, and some even like pulling weeds! Some really enjoy the sales and marketing aspects of being a farmer. But when it comes to the legal side of running a business, many farmers would rather not think about it. Regulations and policy compliance issues can easily become overwhelming and discouraging. There are so many aspects to consider, including: what business structure is right for my farm business? Can I use intern and volunteer labor? How do I write a lease that works for my future plans? Do I have the right insurance, and enough of it? What happens if someone gets hurt on my farm? These kinds of questions are common among beginner and experienced farmers alike, and that’s where Farm Commons, a national non-profit that provides legal guidance for farmers, comes in. Farm Commons provides legal resources and guidance to farmers from across the country. Their Discovering Resilience workshop helps to clarify some of the top legal issues that farmers face and gives them tools and steps to help address crises before they arise. The session is Thursday, February 9 from 9am-5pm at the Harrah’s Resort and Conference Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The link to register is: https://go.rutgers.edu/9juc7pmd. The cost is $50 per person.
This workshop is intended for farmers of any experience level and is one of many resources the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Beginner Farmer Training Program offers. Their aim is to provide beginner farmers with education on every aspect of running a successful farm business, the program is providing educational opportunities on not just the legal aspects of farming, but also the business and planning side in addition to hands-on learning in the field. For more information about the training program, visit their website at https://rubeginnerfarmer.rutgers.edu/ or get in touch by email at beginnerfarmer@njaes.rutgers.edu
–Rutgers Extension, Middlesex County
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