A farmer since 2008, Bo Dennis has worked on a wide variety of operations, including dairy, livestock, vegetable, and educational farms. In 2019, he started his own business, Dandy Ram Farm, focusing on sustainably grown flowers, seeds, and evergreen wreaths. At the time, he was leasing farmland from multiple landowners. But traveling between and farming the three different properties took its toll. Dennis decided to purchase a home that came with farmland, so he could spend more time farming and less time running around.
It took almost four years, but Dennis finally found a property that met all his needs in Monroe, Maine, where he was already leasing land. First, however, he needed to secure an appropriate sales agreement with the landowner. Dennis was working with one of the Legal Food Hub’s partners, Land for Good, and they referred him to the Hub. The Legal Food Hub paired Dennis with attorney Peter Kenlan of Pierce Atwood. A lawyer who had represented many clients in commercial real estate acquisitions, Kenlan was the perfect fit to ensure Dennis received a fair deal in one of the most significant investments of his life.
Dennis reached out to the Hub again in late 2022 for help reviewing a floral design contract. His flower business has grown so much that Dandy Ram Farm now offers full wedding floral design services. Given the effort required to provide local flowers for a wedding, Dennis wanted to ensure that clients follow through with their purchase when their big day arrives.
This time, Dennis was matched with attorney Carrie Yardley of Yarmouth, Maine. She agreed to go over the floral design contract with Dennis free of charge. “The Legal Food Hub has helped me access necessary legal services to build my legal resilience as a business,” says Dennis. “Through the skilled attorneys I was connected with, I am able to move forward with more confidence in the services we are providing as a farmer florist.”
Photo credit: Kelsey Kobick Photography