Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?

[Stc-Gromit]

I was listening to the radio today and the Green Party Candidate (Stein I think) is a promoter of local healthy foods. There may be some support in her??

 

[chicksstophere]

Also live in LC...plans to build coop and have chickens soon...thanks for help!!

 

[blackswan]

Thank you Wingless for representing us. While I would love to attend the next meeting, my work schedule will not allow for this.

Here in New Baltimore I will keep my fight going. I approached the manager of our farmer's market to gain their support. Once I submit a community info applocation ( and it's approved by their board), I'll have a booth on Sunday mornings to talk to our citizens.

Here is a link to the coverage of the council

[=http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2...088f1b05e6436790067.txt?viewmode=fullstory][/]

 

[wingless]

blackswan, the folks at MDARD do not have a good understanding of what it is like to try to establish farming operations in residential areas. They say they want people like us to have chickens, and that they want local governments to have control - as if those two ideas are usually mutually compatible. (And as if RTF doesn't already prohibit that kind of control of commercial farming operations by local governments!)

So even if you can't go to the next meeting, I strongly encourage you to write a statement to the Ag Commission and to MDARD to inform them of what it is actually like to try to get your city to pass an ordinance allowing chickens. You can send it to them directly, or I'll hand it to them - in which case I believe it will be a part of the public record.

Is there any way we can help you? I'd be glad to write up a one-pager describing the successful ordinance in Ann Arbor - perhaps with a picture showing a nice coop and lovely birds to help replace whatever image they otherwise have.

 

[blackswan]

I can write up a timeline of my experience with my city council and email it to you. Essentially they completely ignored facts from established sucessful city ordinances and voted based on ignorant opinions and conclusions.

I presented 90 pages of pro urban chicken keeping including the study of 25 cities across the united states. If they had taken the time to read the documents ALL of their concerns were addressed. I included sample ordinances and coop requirements. I offered to volunteer to be a resource for the city to call upon if others wanted to have a coop. In the end they came up with legitamate concerns ( that were answered, but clearly it wasn't read) to rediculious ( the city getting sued if I ate a bad egg:/

My last statement was for them to vote on facts not opinions and that having chicken coops in a city is a HOW rather than a YES NO.

In the end they all voted no and I intend to have a table at our farmer's market to educate our community. I would LOVE to have a live chicken to spark more interest, but I don't have any because I cancelled my order. I would have had chicks, but it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to have them there being so young.

 

[RaZ]

Blackswan,
Would you e-mail me a copy of your data, please?
My city council didn't even bother with considering a change since the mayor and his attorney cowed them into submission. He is on record as saying that he will not allow chickens in his city.

I'll PM you my address.

 

[olefarmersdaughter]

In support of your efforts, I shot an e-mail to MDARD in support of your plight. Figure it couldn't hurt.

 

[wingless]

Hey everyone -

The MDARD website now contains drafts for the 2013 GAAMPS: http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1567_1599_1605---,00.html

In particular, there are now proposed changes to the Site Selection GAAMPS that make site selection requirements applicable to everyone, and not just those with 50 animal units (5,000 chickens), and new language that states that site selection should only occur in areas that are zoned agricultural. The changes are easy to find, because they are in red (or are crossed out) in the draft they provide: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/2013_DRAFT_SITE_SELECTION_GAAMP_392878_7.pdf

Note that these changes, if successful, seriously challenge our RTF protection. Everything that has been said over the past 73 pages on this thread will no longer apply if this language passes and is upheld, because - as I understand it - these changes will mean that we are no longer protected by RTF.

There is a small window of time in which the public is invited to comment on any and all changes to the 2013 GAAMPS. That window is now, culminating in a public meeting on August 22nd. Details are here: http://michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1572_28248-282958--,00.html

I will definitely be responding to this individually, but I also wonder if we need to create an organization that represents urban/residential/unconventional farming operations, so we can ask for a seat at the table when policies that affect us are being discussed, and especially when new rules are being made.

 

[RaZ]

I'm in.
I can also go to the August 22nd meeting.

 

[blackswan]

Well isn't that conveinant for the folks who draft/change GAAMPS specifically targeted Urban Farming to basically make it impossible. I realize it is a proposal, and we have (and should) voice our opinions.

Also, I will be speaking to the assistant to Andrea LaFontaine today as I reached out to her again after my city turned down my request to have an ordinance change to allow for BYC.

If anyone has any imput that they want me to pass along please sent a PM as I will check that today.

Specifically I need names of people in MDRAD and/or GAAMPS. The area that Andrea represents has a significant amount of agriculture land, but does include our city (12,000 population). I'm hoping her office is familiar with whom they need to speak with to begin some dialogue about urban farming.

Since I just received this email from her office yesterday, I have not had a sufficient amount of time to find resources of other pro urban farming cities and their success. Can anyone point me in the right direction for this?

Again...I want to continue to present FACTS where urban farming is successful, sustainable, and welcome in communities.

THanks
Michelle