Pro Bono Legal and Business Mentorship Resources
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I was just chatting with a small-scale seaweed farmer on the west coast who is navigating a partnership with another business. We were talking about MOUs and joint venture agreements and all sorts of legal things that are generally outside of our area of expertise. Then I remembered some great services that the Conservation Law Foundation provides through their Legal Food Hub, including pro bono legal services to eligible farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food-related organizations. Although their pro bono services are only currently available to farmers in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT, they have lots of resources in their Resource Library that are accessible to all. These resources were developed with land-based farmers in mind, but many are applicable to work on the ocean.
Another resource I've shared with emerging ocean farmers over the years is the Small Business Administration's SCORE Mentor program. If you're developing a business plan, trying to sort out the difference between different business models, navigating the ins and outs of scaling your operation, or grappling with other issues and would benefit from having another tool in your toolbox -- a SCORE mentor could be a good sounding board.
If you have worked with the Legal Food Hub or a SCORE mentor, please share your reflections in the comments!
