Illinois Stewardship Alliance Publishes Legal Guide For Farmers
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance today released a legal guide for farmers wanting to sell directly to consumers, restaurants and others.
The guide is intended to be an introduction to the legal framework surrounding agriculture for beginning and current farmers who are interested in being part of the fastest growing sector of their industry – direct farm marketing of vegetables, fruits, meats and other products.
Specific to Illinois, the guide is a handy reference on topics like taxing, zoning, liability insurance, cottage food laws, and regulations that pertain to specific foods.
“I’m excited about the potential of this guide to help beginning and current farmers make the leap into local and organic food sales,” Wes King, Illinois Stewardship Alliance executive director and guide co-author, said.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance first published a legal guide for farmers interested in direct farm marketing in 2003. Changes to the laws and rules regarding food, such as the passage of the Cottage Food Act, compost reform, and federal Food Safety Modernization Act, demanded an update.
“My hope is that this guide will help people grow safe food, form successful business ventures and make the vision of local and organic food as an engine of prosperity for our community, our state and our region real,” Rich Schell, an attorney that focuses on agriculture-related issues and guide co-author, said.
The University of Illinois Extension provided publication assistance for the guide.∆