Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?

[laughingclown]

Hi Fellow BYC


I reserved a room on
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
6-8pm

We are called

Backyard Chicken Keepers of Michigan

​

MacDonald Public Library
36480 Main Street
New Baltimore, MI 48047

If anyone wishes to bring pictures of their chicks, chickens, chicks/chickens and your family.. being funny/silly please do.

Also please bring pictures of your coops!!
Pass this along to other Michigan BYC and invite them.

I will provide some beverages and snacks.

If you wish to email them to me I will add them to the poster that I will make up.

My email is BYCMi at Yahoo dot com

Please contact me there if you have a ?? I will also provide you my phone # if you think you need it.​

I hope this isn't a problem for the MDRAD meeting folks on 8/22/2012. I thought it was the week prior when I put in my request.


Just a thought here. Take it or leave it. You may have better turn out if you can have it located more in the center of Michigan. This way people will be more apt to go the distance than having to drive clear accross the state.

 

[CaraBear]

well, um...poop...guess I should have paid more attention to the actual meeting time, as I had it in my brain that it would be evening, and I was jam-packed with kid stuff today and JUST sat down to write a statement and BAM - meeting over!

How'd it go?

I'll still be writing up something...but perhaps we might have more insight into what arguments to focus on....

so sorry - too much traveling this past month has put me behind on my fighting for the cause!!

 

[wingless]

I think it went well.

At one point one, after both RaZ and I spoke, Commissioner Coe reminded everyone in the room about the legislator who originally fought for and passed the Right To Farm Act (Munsen, I think?) and essentially said that this legislator fought for the same reason we are - because individual township and municipal governments aren't inclined to pass ordinances that permit farming. And then he basically said that we should think long and hard before letting that hard won, state-wide RTF victory slip away too easily. I wish you all could have been in the room to hear that statement.

It isn't over yet, but we have their attention. I said I planned to attend every meeting between now and their vote on the 2013 GAAMPS at the December 2012 meeting, and that I would be asking them each time to vote no on the 2013 GAAMP changes that exempt Michiganders from RTF protection, and to revoke the 2012 changes.

Jamie Clover Adams, Director of MDARD, at one point said that we should pay attention to the Attorney General's Office, because they will soon come out with an opinion about the 2012 GAAMPS language - not sure exactly what that is about, but I think it has to do with exactly what that language means, as in who it affects. For example, I think they may something about whether the 2012 language applies to people who live in cities which have not specifically requested that MDARD exempt their citizens from RTF protection.

blackswan, I also gave the secretary a copy of your statement, and it will be distributed to the commission members.

 

[RaZ]

George McMannus (spelling?) was the original author who fought for our rights and drafted the RFT.

Director Adams also stated that she didn't see how anyone might be affected (disenfranchised) by a weakening of the GAAMPs, so I told the commission how it currently affecting me personally. Any attempt to weaken a good law is bound to have a negative affect on us all. Giving away any portion of the state RTFA to individual towns is likely to create havoc across the state.

I suggest that if you think that you will be negatively impacted, you should write to the commission and tell them so. If you need help with your letter, let me know by PM. We need to stick together.

 

[blackswan]

I think it went well.

At one point one, after both RaZ and I spoke, Commissioner Coe reminded everyone in the room about the legislator who originally fought for and passed the Right To Farm Act (Munsen, I think?) and essentially said that this legislator fought for the same reason we are - because individual township and municipal governments aren't inclined to pass ordinances that permit farming.  And then he basically said that we should think long and hard before letting that hard won, state-wide RTF victory slip away too easily.  I wish you all could have been in the room to hear that statement.

It isn't over yet, but we have their attention.  I said I planned to attend every meeting between now and their vote on the 2013 GAAMPS at the December 2012 meeting, and that I would be asking them each time to vote no on the 2013 GAAMP changes that exempt Michiganders from RTF protection, and to revoke the 2012 changes.  

Jamie Clover Adams, Director of MDARD, at one point said that we should pay attention to the Attorney General's Office, because they will soon come out with an opinion about the 2012 GAAMPS language - not sure exactly what that is about, but I think it has to do with exactly what that language means, as in who it affects.  For example, I think they may something about whether the 2012 language applies to people who live in cities which have not specifically requested that MDARD exempt their citizens from RTF protection.  

blackswan, I also gave the secretary a copy of your statement, and it will be distributed to the commission members.

Thank you so much for representing and forwarding information!

Very interesting comments.

 

[blackswan]

I was interviewed again for our local paper. This time BYC will be a feature story. I made it clear that BYC is not a new concept, but accepted and successful in many communities. She interviewed another BYC.com member who lives near me and will attend the meeting in a week and a half. I extended the invitation to the reporter to the meeting. Publishing a feature story should spark more interest and i hope the curiosity.

Time will tell...

 

[RaZ]

Just a thought here. Take it or leave it. You may have better turn out if you can have it located more in the center of Michigan. This way people will be more apt to go the distance than having to drive clear accross the state.

This is the first attempt at organizing backyard chicken keepers as a group that can have a louder voice in our government and the rules/laws that affect us. I can see meetings occurring all over the state as we get better organized. We just have to start somewhere and all input is appreciated.

 

[olefarmersdaughter]

This is the first attempt at organizing backyard chicken keepers as a group that can have a louder voice in our government and the rules/laws that affect us. I can see meetings occurring all over the state as we get better organized. We just have to start somewhere and all input is appreciated.

Please post a link to the article after its published.....thanx.

 

[wingless]

Actually, I think blackswan intends this as a public meeting to promote backyard chicken keeping in her area; is that right, blackswan?

I love the idea of also talking about whether and how to organize ourselves more formally, and hope that also happens. If that gets off the ground, or there is interest, I would be glad to host something in Ann Arbor if that is more convenient for folks? Or do we need to be even more central - and where exactly is that?

 

[blackswan]

Yes.. My intention is to educate local residents to come find out what BYC is all about, but asked the assistance of current BYCers. Once I put the request out here on byc.com--I got a few responses from BYCers near me that are willing to talk and share info. I didn't want to exclude anyone that wanted to share their story so the invitation is open to anyone that wants to come and talk about their experience.

In order for me to reserve the room in our library .. I had to be a group.

We are afterall.. Backyard Chicken Keepers of Michigan. A group of BYC enthusiasts who volunteer our information and experience. I am not collecting any money AT ALL. It's strickly an information venue.

I'm open to attending other meetings and assisting others in their 'fight'.

And... right.. we have to start somewhere.