New Roots Farm Receives Legal Assistance to Form CooperativeBackground: Several refugee Somali Bantu farmers, who currently farm individually, are working to form an agricultural cooperative. The purpose of the cooperative is to allow them to leverage their resources by working together rather than separately. They hope to gain better access to farmland and to share that land, equipment, and marketing. Each farmer currently […] |  |
Seaweed Snack Company Comes to Hub to Protect TrademarkBackground: Tara Treichel had the idea of starting an innovative seaweed company in Maine, offering kelp snacks and other seaweed products. Thus was born SeaMade. Tara aims to serve health-conscious consumers by providing education and convenient access to seaweed through tasty foods and other seaweed products. SeaMade is committed to socially responsible business and environmental […] |  |
Dovetail Family Farm Gains Assistance from Hub to Create an LLCBackground: Maddrey and her husband, Frank, started Dovetail Family Farm in remote rural Maine several years ago. Frank’s mother, Norma, helps organize resources and assists with watching Maddrey and Frank’s children. Dovetail encompasses around 80 acres. They grow a variety of produce, including a long list of salad greens, and use season extenders to get the […] |  |
August 20: Legal Workshop – Business Entity, Early Stage Financing, and Lease Agreements for Small Food BusinessesCommonwealth Kitchen, 196 Quincy Street, Dorchester MA 6-8pm RSVP at: http://bit.ly/legalworkshopAug20 |
Heavenly Blix, Inc Explores Trademark ConcernsBackground: Heavenly Blix, Inc. is a start-up fruit-based ice cream company located in Greenfield, MA, founded on the belief that desserts can be good for you. Started in early 2015, the company manufactures ice cream using bananas as the base ingredient and has a variety of flavors. Heavenly Blix is committed to sustainable operations, and […] |  |
Spritzal Cookie Company, LLC Consults with Attorney on Trademark QuestionsBackground: Spritzal Cookie Company, LLC is a small-scale cookie company located in Norwell, MA using the original spritz cookie recipe of the owner’s great grandmother. Relying on only five ingredients, including three locally-sourced ingredients, the cookies are sold at local farmers’ markets and through some wholesale, but the company was looking to expand the business […] |  |
Elizabeth BoeppleThe first two things noticeable about Beth Boepple (pronounced “BEP-lee”) are her high wattage smile and her clear, relaxing voice. She comes by her impeccable speech habits from her parents: her father was head of the UVM Theatre Department for many years and her mother became a speech pathologist. The smile is likely fed from […] |  |
Maine Lawyers Offer Free Aid for Farmers and Other Food EntrepreneursPortland Press Herald: The new Maine Legal Services Food Hub gives pro bono legal advice on leases, incorporation, trademarking and more. |  |
Jon KlavensJon Klavens and his dedicated group of attorneys are no stranger to lending their talents for good. Their unique law firm was founded on the very idea of representing businesses with an environmental or other social mission. Serving as pro bono counsel to the Dorchester Community Food Co-op has been rewarding, fun, and fits with […] |  |
Nonprofit Community Kitchen Receives Legal Assistance for Entity Formation and Employment ContractsBackground: Commonwealth Kitchen (CK), which operates Boston’s only shared-use commercial kitchen and culinary business incubator, currently supports about 40 food entrepreneurs. CK provides access to fully-equipped kitchen facilities for hourly rental on a membership basis combined with technical support, training, oversight, and guidance for wide range of wholesale and retail start-up and emerging food businesses. […] |  |