"First we eat, then we do everything else.” - MFK Fisher
Welcome!
If you were here with me, I would hand you a hearty slice of Vermont bread spread with maple butter—or a stunning Vermont cheese and a round, perfectly matched ale. Perhaps you would prefer a glass of Vermont wine or cider or a craft ginger beer?
Because here in Vermont, we have sugarmakers and farmers, bakers and butter makers, chocolatiers and brewers, cidermakers and food and beverage innovators.
They’re creating some of the most wholesome and delicious food and drink you can find anywhere in the world. We have nearly 600 commercial food and beverage manufacturers in Vermont, with more getting started every day. That’s not even counting some small operations, like the kitchen-based producers and most of the smaller sugarmakers.
It seems only right, then—given Vermont’s leading role in the healthy and creative food scene and the broadening global recognition of its craft beers, ciders and cheeses—that the industry should have its own dedicated lawyer.
My Path to Your Food Business
Food and beverage is one of the leading growth sectors in Vermont, and it’s taking its rightful place in the larger food system. As smaller producers become larger ones, they may become overwhelmed by the tangle of federal and state regulations.
I am here to help.
As both a litigator and a regulatory and compliance lawyer for fifteen years, I’ve touched (and in some cases, written) the regulations that govern a number of Vermont industries. Now I’ve dedicated my practice to local food and beverage producers, carving out time to get to know them, visiting plants and studying local industry trends. I am well-versed in Current Good Manufacturing Practices and the Food Safety Modernization Act and I certified as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual so that I could understand food producers’ practical challenges in addition to the their legal requirements.
I can also help you navigate the unique regulations that govern the production and distribution of beer, wine and cider, in addition to the regulations that rule spirits and food production. And for no reason other than that wine is my passion, I am also a Wine & Spirit Education Trust diploma candidate.
The Legal Representation Food and Beverage Producers Deserve
It’s time now for Vermont to support the industry that supports it. Food and beverage producers shouldn’t have to look outside the state to find guidance in federal or import/export matters, and now they don’t have to.
In addition to solving the complex legal problems that face food and beverage makers, I have launched this blog to provide information—about the law, about the industry, and sometimes just for fun.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments about what you read. I’m always happy to hear from you.
