Nicole Cook, environmental and agricultural faculty legal specialist with the Agriculture Law Education Initiative at UMES, will be the keynote speaker at the UMES winter workshop, scheduled for Saturday, February 24 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Richard A. Henson Center. The workshop, intended for farmers with business and legal concerns, will focus on agriculture labor and taxes.
“The workshop is a one-stop-shop opportunity for farmers to get a lot of information in a short amount of time from a variety of experts who will cover the general business and legal concerns many farmers encounter. We’ll discuss what they need to be aware of in operating a farm business,” said Cook. “Plus, they get lunch to boot.”
In the morning plenary session, attendees will learn about the protections that different business structures can provide farming businesses, the liability risks that accompany farming, and strategies for managing those risks.
Mid-morning breakout sessions will cover a wide range of topics including lending or financing, labor and employment issues, taxes, and farm liability. Agricultural lenders and representatives from Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO), the Small Business Development Center and the Farm Service Agency will participate, as well as a certified public accountant who will address tax-related matters.
The primary goal of the event is to equip farmers to understand business and legal principles associated with managing a farm operation while complying with the complex network of laws and policies protecting the integrity of the state’s food system and environment.
The Business & Legal Considerations for Your Farm Workshop is sponsored by the IFARMS Project and the Agriculture Law Education Initiative. Registration costs $15 per person and includes access to all breakout sessions, educational materials, and lunch.
To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-legal-considerations-for-your-farm-workshop-registration-42548324183
For more information, call Nicole Cook at 410-651-6182 or email at nlcook@umes.edu.
