FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
12/22/2010
Rockford, Ill., --University of Illinois Extension offices in Winnebago, Stephenson and Ogle counties will be hosting two webinars that help guide direct farm business owners through the maze of legal issues related to establishing and operating their businesses.
The first webinar Managing Legal Risks in the Direct Farm Business will be held on Tuesday, January 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A second webinar, Managing Legal Risks in the Direct Farm Business Follow-Up, will be held on Thursday, March 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. will address outstanding questions and/or issues that came up in the first webinar and that needed additional research by Bryan Endres and Nick Johnson. The second webinar will also provide an opportunity for participants to ask additional questions.
The cost for one or the set of webinars is $10 per participant. To register, contact your Extension office as listed below:
U of I Extension-Winnebago County - 815-986-4357, 1925 South Meridian Rd, Rockford, www.extension.illinois.edu/
U of I Extension-Stephenson County - 815-235-4125, 2998 West Pearl City Road, Freeport, www.extension.illinois.edu/ U of I Extension-Ogle County - 815-732-2191, 421 West Pines Road, Suite 10, Oregon, www.extension.illinois.edu/ In today’s food marketplace, more health-conscious consumers are seeking out local sources of food, and they are increasingly turning to direct farm businesses – such as farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and U-pick operations – to fill their needs. The farmers who run these businesses stand to benefit greatly from this demand: Selling directly to consumers increases the farmer’s share of the consumer’s food dollar, and building a connection with customers and the community can make farming a more enjoyable and rewarding experience. However, managing a successful direct farm business can be difficult due to a labyrinthine set of laws and regulations. These laws are implemented and enforced by more than a dozen local, state, and federal government authorities that each have their own (sometimes overlapping) requirements. Just figuring out who to contact about a particular law or regulation can sometimes be a daunting task. University of Illinois Associate Professor of Agricultural Law, A. Bryan Endres, and Illinois attorney Nicholas R. Johnson have developed a webinar that clarifies some of the unique legal issues pertaining to direct farm businesses. Sponsored by the Illinois Bar Foundation, the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (CFAR), North Central Risk Management Center, and the University of Illinois Extension, the webinar and related web content touches upon general business topics such as taxation, labor and employment, business planning and setup; rules and regulations that apply to specific direct farm business products (such as dairy, eggs, grains, honey, livestock and poultry, fruits and vegetables, and organic produce); and other legal issues that may arise in the context of establishing and operating a direct farm business. These programs are a long-distance learning opportunities through which participants listen to live presenters via the University’s TeleNet system and view a PowerPoint presentation, with the opportunity for live questions and answers at the conclusion of the program. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. CONTACT: Margaret Larson
County Director
University of Illinois Extension-
Stephenson and Winnebago Counties
mklarson@illinois.edu
