Jan. 19 webinar: Building a Legally Sound Intern and Volunteer Program for Farm Work

We all know that farming is hard work. Do you ever wish you had a little extra help?

Farm Commons is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, January 19th at 3:00 p.m. Eastern about how to legally offer farm work to interns and volunteers. There are many people passionate about good, local food who would probably love to lend a hand and learn more about what it takes to produce the foods they love — but it’s important to make sure that you follow all labor laws when engaging them.

Now could be a great time to explore whether or not intern or volunteer help is right for your farm! Click here to learn more about the webinar and to register for it.

Shortly after farmers in Colorado were faced with severe flooding in September, others in South Dakota were hit with a record-breaking October blizzard leaving ranchers to deal with 48-inches of snow. Unprepared to face these conditions, farmers and ranchers in South Dakota lost tens of thousands of livestock to the freak storm. All of this came in the midst of the government shutdown, leaving family farmers without immediate answers or assistance from federal entities during the crises.

If you or your family was affected by the disasters in Colorado or South Dakota, contact 1-800-FARM-AID (800-327-6243) or farmhelp@farmaid.org.

Additional resources for affected farmers are available on the Farm Aid website. The Farmers Legal Action Group offers a guide explicating disaster programs available to farmers under the 2008 Farm Bill. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service also has an extensive online list of available disaster relief resources. One of the most important steps a farmer can take when struck by a disaster is to carefully document all losses and attempts to receive help. RAFI-USA created a guide to help farmers with this documentation.

Farm Aid is working alongside partner organizations on the ground to assist these farmers, already having donated $20,000 toward the relief efforts. The Farm Aid Family Farm Disaster Fund is activated and accepting donations towards farmer and rancher recovery.

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