For New Farmers
How do I handle all the regulations that may impact my farming operation?
Research legal issues before you start a farm or make changes to your farm operation to save a lot of trouble.
Strategies:
- Research the legal issues that may affect your operation.
- Make sure your farm is in compliance with relevant regulations.
Resources:
- The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing addresses legal concerns of direct-market operations. It also covers selling on-farm or at farmers' markets; organizational structure, licenses, and taxation; financial issues; labeling and advertising; land use and property law; labor law; insurance and liability; and regulations relevant to on-farm processing and sales of meat and other livestock products. It is available from the bookstore.
- The National Agricultural Risk Assessment Library
The Risk Assessment Library offers many documents about negotiating legal terrain. http://www.agrisk.umn.edu/ - Gemplers' Labor Law Compliance: A Working Guide for Ag/Hort Employers summarizes legal issues for farm employers. http://www.gemplers.com/
- Summary of Federal Laws and Regulations Affecting Agricultural Employers. This guide to legal farm labor issues, including information on exemptions for smaller operations, is Available online at www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ah719.
