A local law firm is set to host the Agricultural Law Summit on Feb. 19 at the Chatham Armoury.
Jeff Wesley, of Anderson Law, the team organizing the summit, said the free half-day event is designed to equip the local farming community with essential legal knowledge and tools to protect farms and businesses for future generations.
He said lawyers and farmers regularly work together.
“The average non-agriculture person always thinks farming is pretty straightforward. It is not. It is extremely complicated,” he said. “Farmers, in many cases, are running multi-million dollar corporations. They have to worry about what to do if they want to buy, if they want to sell, how to go about transferring to a family member and any tax implications.”
Wesley said the summit, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon, has a host of speakers addressing the gathering on a variety of topics.
The summit is set up as a partnership. There will be lawyers who can speak to all aspects of what a farmer or agricultural business might need, as well as accountants and financial advisors.
“Each group is going to have a set time (to speak),” Wesley explained. “They will be short and to the point. And everyone who is presenting will be available to speak one on one. The people who attend can listen and ask questions, but they also get to meet other people in the (agriculture) business.”
Wesley said the importance of the agricultural community here in Chatham-Kent cannot be understated.
“Ag has been and will continue to be the economic engine of Chatham-Kent,” he said. “With farm prices, look at what they were 20 years ago compared to today. There is a reason to make sure everything is up to date.”
There are still a few spots left for the summit. To register, contact Anderson Law at 519-397-2889.
