Anyone worried about using the Right to Farm Act?

[CrazyPetunias]

It is wise to look up your local zoning laws and restrictions when buying a home. If you can change your zoning - it is well worth the trouble. When we purchased our home, it was already zoned A2 which is designation for agricultural/homestead. On the most part, we don't have neighbor complaints. As long as you keep your animals from roaming on someone else's land there is peace.

 

[wingless]

who defines "farmer"? traditionally, a farmer raised food for their family and sold any extras to buy whatever else they needed. it is my understanding that that applies to a lot of people who only have a few hens or whatever. i feel these laws (in most places, i haven't read up on all of them) are fully usable for protecting the smallest of small time farmers. it is our right to produce our own food.

of course, health codes and sanitation do trump RTF, though it is possible to have small animals like poultry in a fairly small area without any sanitation issues. the people who pile manure of whatever form can (and, at times, should) get in trouble for that kind of thing. similarly, having a cow on half an acre is almost impossible to do without sanitation issues. that would also be unfair to the animal.

Well, with respect to the issues discussed here, the RTF law defines farmer. And you're right, the definition does not depend on the number of animals that you have, but rather on the kind that you have. I have never seen a RTF case that argued that a person who has chickens should not be defined as a farmer. So that is never the issue.

And it really isn't that health codes and sanitation trump the RTF - it is more that you have to follow the GAAMPS with respect to, say manure management. So when RTF cases go to court they don't check health codes; instead, they look at the law to see what the criteria are for RTF protection, and this very often comes down to three things: is it a farm operation, is it commercial, and does it follow the GAAMPS.

As to your last point about whether having a cow on a half acre is possible or not, I would just say that the vast majority of cows in the United States are grown in concentrated agricultural feeding operations, or CAFOs, and have much less than a half acre. Agree that that is not fair to the animal, and that the sanitation results are serious. Compared to how meat animals are actually grown here in the US, I think a cow grown by a family on a half acre is pretty idyllic.

 

[Amastacia]

...

As to your last point about whether having a cow on a half acre is possible or not, I would just say that the vast majority of cows in the United States are grown in concentrated agricultural feeding operations, or CAFOs, and have much less than a half acre. Agree that that is not fair to the animal, and that the sanitation results are serious. Compared to how meat animals are actually grown here in the US, I think a cow grown by a family on a half acre is pretty idyllic.

i suppose i tend to try and pretend the gross abuse that is factory farms doesn't exist. i know that is silly and fairly useless, but i also don't think comparing to that abuse is useful either. it might be better, but it still isn't particularly good (especially with the example of cows, they are social animals and to have enough for them to be comfortable is far more than could live comfortably on half an acre). on the other hand, i am working towards knowing where all of my meat comes from so as to avoid supporting those terrible places.

 

[RTFchickens]

I have seen first hand where "restaurant quality" cows spend their days. They are kept in a barn not allowed to exercise and very tight living quarters. The meat is more tender if they are not let out of the barn.
Lets just say we don't eat at restaurants any more. We save tons of money and eat much healthier at home