In late April, CLF partners American Farmland Trust (AFT) and Land For Good (LFG) released a joint study on farm succession in New England. The study reveals that our region’s farmers are aging fast – as of 2012, 85% of principal farm operators were over the age of 45, up from 76% in 2002. In…
May 14
2016
2016
Feb 18
2016
2016
CLF’s Legal Services Food Hub Crosses 100-Case Mark, Leverages More Than Half Million in Legal Assistance
CLF launched its Legal Services Food Hub with one goal in mind: keeping New England’s food producers in business. A year and a half into this new program, we are delighted to announce that the Hub has crossed a major threshold in its mission to achieve this goal: we placed our 100th case and crossed…
Nov 25
2015
2015
Local Food Innovation: A Win for Maine
This past weekend, ten teams competed to win the first ever Maine Farm, Fish, and Food Innovation Challenge. What’s an “Innovation Challenge”? Think Top Chef for startup businesses aimed at expanding the sustainable distribution, processing, marketing, and aggregation of Maine foods. Thirty-six participants representing 10 teams participated in the weekend event at Bowdoin College. Over…
Sep 29
2015
2015
Legal Services Food Hub Celebrates First Year Helping Farmers and Food Businesses Thrive
It’s been just over a year since CLF’s Legal Services Food Hub launched, matching farmers, food entrepreneurs, and the organizations that support them with pro bono legal services. We are pleased to share our Annual Report highlighting the accomplishments of the Legal Services Food Hub over the last year. It has been an incredibly…
May 26
2015
2015
Farmers and Lawyers: A Match Made in Maine
Noah Fralich moved back home to Maine with one ambition: to open a business on his family’s land in New Gloucester. His fledgling cidery business was just getting off the ground when he hit a snag – the name of his business was already trademarked by someone else. Now, in the midst of trying to grow…
Oct 28
2014
2014
Starting a Business Just Got Easier
Sooner or later, if you’re thinking of starting a business, you’ll need to decide what form it should take. Do you want to start a for-profit? A nonprofit? A cooperative? Wonder if an S Corp might be a better choice than a C Corp? Is a B Corp right for you? What’s the difference between…
Oct 24
2014
2014
CLF’s Pro Bono Legal Services Food Hub Helps Boston Food Entrepreneurs
Earlier this year, two young Boston entrepreneurs were in the thick of starting a food business. Their idea was to start a food truck in low-income Boston neighborhoods where they would cook and serve on-the-go meals made with ingredients sourced from local farms. Through this venture, the duo aimed to increase access to healthy, affordable,…
Jun 9
2014
2014
WANTED: Transactional Lawyers for Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs
Imagine you’d like to start a local farm. You’ll want land, equipment, seeds, and that special ingredient that few people think about: a lawyer. Surprised? You’re not alone! Few people recognize how necessary lawyers are in building the farms, food businesses, and food cooperatives that make up our local food system. Acquiring land, negotiating agricultural…