Background: Kelly and her husband, Anil, founded Pumpkin Vine Family Farm in Somerville, ME in 2008, keeping six-generation farmland in production and building a beloved resource for their community. The farm produces milk and cheese from its purebred goats and cows, as well as pastured pork, hay, garlic, and daffodils, and hopes to begin an apprenticeship program to help educate a new generation of farmers. The family also hosts three weeks of farm camp each summer, inviting children ages 4–10 to come and learn about plants and animals while helping with farm chores and other related activities.
Legal Need 1: Kelly and Anil are planning to hire employees and contacted the Legal Food Hub for help in reviewing their personnel policy and employment application and to ensure that they are in compliance with other employment-related requirements.
The Relationship: The Legal Food Hub connected Kelly and Anil with Rudman Winchell’s Anne-Marie Storey, who specializes in employment and human resources law. With her extensive experience in small businesses’ hiring and labor issues, Pumpkin Vine Family Farm now ready to hire their first employee.
Legal Need 2: Kelly’s husband, Anil, was the sole proprietor of Pumpkin Vine Family Farm, and the two sought legal assistance in forming an LLC together. They also needed legal review of the camp registration form and medical treatment authorization forms to ensure that they and their campers were fully protected.
The Relationship: The Legal Food Hub connected Kelly and Anil with Beth Boepple at BCM Environmental Land Law, who assisted them with forming an LLC and ensured that their forms were comprehensive and protective.