Well done!
Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?
- Thread starter festivefeet
- Start date
Well done!
Im in Mount Clemens and so far have not had any problems or complaints as far as my chickens go. I've been nervous though considering I have a gross apartment building directly behind my house that have people coming and going and hanging around outside all the time. Most of my backyard is out of sight because of our tall shrubs, so it helps a little. I'm considering rehoming my two rouen ducks though, just in case, because they can be pretty noisy and I dont want to push it, but I will not part with my hens. I was checking out laws regarding chickens in our local ordinances when we first got our girls, but didn't find anything directly pertaining to poultry. Now I know why 
This is actually the first Ive heard about RTF... this website is full of knowledge and Im thankful to have found it! I will be checking back often to see if there are any new developments regarding RTF and what I can do to help.
This is actually the first Ive heard about RTF... this website is full of knowledge and Im thankful to have found it! I will be checking back often to see if there are any new developments regarding RTF and what I can do to help.
I think BYC is an amazing example of how new technologies seep into our lives and then have unexpected impacts.
This thread has been nurtured and sustained by different groups of people since 2009, and at the moment is the single greatest resource for a handful of backyard chicken farmers working to preserve Right to Farm protection for literally millions of citizens in Michigan.
Without BYC and all the people who have contributed to this thread over the years, RTF protection would have been lost without a fight, because none of us would have been able to put all the pieces together by ourselves to figure out what is going on, or to even understand what is at stake.
So welcome to BYC and the MRTF thread, Newchickemomx2. This is a very interesting and collectively productive place to be.
- May 9, 2012
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Recent case just decided ...
Oberly v. Township of Dundee
http://coa.courts.mi.gov/documents/opinions/final/coa/20120920_c304122_38_304122.opn.pdf
Oberly v. Township of Dundee
http://coa.courts.mi.gov/documents/opinions/final/coa/20120920_c304122_38_304122.opn.pdf
Ok, here is something curious.
As we all now know, GAAMPS are living documents that change every year, in a process that begins in the spring with the convening of committees for each GAAMPS and a decision on whether any changes are needed. If changes are desired, then the committees meet and draft those changes into a proposed revision (July), with public comments during the summer (Aug), after which they are presented to the Ag Commission for their consideration (Nov) and then vote (Dec). This is exactly what is going on this year - but it is not what happened last year in the lead up to passing the 2012 GAAMPS.
Below is a link to the November 9, 2011 Ag Commission meeting, in which the Draft 2012 GAAMPS were presented to the Ag Commission, with no mention of the now famous 2012 preamble language that disenfranchises as many as 1.5 million of us (those living in cities of 100,000 or more) from RTF protection. So that means the 2012 preamble language that eventually passed in December was not on the table in November, and never went through the public review process. It was also not formally presented to the Ag Commission before the meeting in which they voted on it. Here are the minutes, with this part of the discussion beginning on page 20:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/Nov__9_2011_MINUTES_371460_7.pdf
In fact, Jim Johnson was still saying on November 9th that MDARD was considering creating an urban agriculture GAAMP to deal with urban ag issues in Detroit, and was considering options with the Attorney General's office.
Three weeks later, on November 28, 2011, the Detroit Free Press reported that Virgil Smith and Joe Hune were preparing to introduce a bill that week that would exempt Detroit from RTF: http://www.freep.com/article/201111...would-create-Right-Farm-Act-exemption-Detroit.
As we now all know, that bill was never introduced.
Instead, two weeks later at the December 14, 2011 Ag Commission meeting, the 2012 preamble language was proposed, and passed by the Ag Commission with almost no discussion. Those minutes are here; the RTF discussion begins on page 16: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/Dec_14_2011_MINUTES_373525_7.pdf
Quite the drama, but I still can't see what was so important that they had to circumvent their process, and come up with such unusual and ill considered GAAMPS language at the very last moment.
Is it all about keeping RTF out of the legislature?
As we all now know, GAAMPS are living documents that change every year, in a process that begins in the spring with the convening of committees for each GAAMPS and a decision on whether any changes are needed. If changes are desired, then the committees meet and draft those changes into a proposed revision (July), with public comments during the summer (Aug), after which they are presented to the Ag Commission for their consideration (Nov) and then vote (Dec). This is exactly what is going on this year - but it is not what happened last year in the lead up to passing the 2012 GAAMPS.
Below is a link to the November 9, 2011 Ag Commission meeting, in which the Draft 2012 GAAMPS were presented to the Ag Commission, with no mention of the now famous 2012 preamble language that disenfranchises as many as 1.5 million of us (those living in cities of 100,000 or more) from RTF protection. So that means the 2012 preamble language that eventually passed in December was not on the table in November, and never went through the public review process. It was also not formally presented to the Ag Commission before the meeting in which they voted on it. Here are the minutes, with this part of the discussion beginning on page 20:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/Nov__9_2011_MINUTES_371460_7.pdf
In fact, Jim Johnson was still saying on November 9th that MDARD was considering creating an urban agriculture GAAMP to deal with urban ag issues in Detroit, and was considering options with the Attorney General's office.
Three weeks later, on November 28, 2011, the Detroit Free Press reported that Virgil Smith and Joe Hune were preparing to introduce a bill that week that would exempt Detroit from RTF: http://www.freep.com/article/201111...would-create-Right-Farm-Act-exemption-Detroit.
As we now all know, that bill was never introduced.
Instead, two weeks later at the December 14, 2011 Ag Commission meeting, the 2012 preamble language was proposed, and passed by the Ag Commission with almost no discussion. Those minutes are here; the RTF discussion begins on page 16: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/Dec_14_2011_MINUTES_373525_7.pdf
Quite the drama, but I still can't see what was so important that they had to circumvent their process, and come up with such unusual and ill considered GAAMPS language at the very last moment.
Is it all about keeping RTF out of the legislature?
Last edited:
Of course it was. Its unfortunate that procedures and reasonable thinking has dissolved within or political system. Its very sad that our representatives no longer care about the people. They expect us to just keep our heads in the sand and let them do whatever they want.
- Jun 18, 2012
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I just wanted to let you all know that the City of Troy is allowing us to keep our chickens!!!!
We had started this battle in April of this year. We believe that the city inspector was driving through our neighborhood and spotted our little A-frame coop. We received a letter from the zoning person stating that we needed to be on .75 an acre to have ANY livestock. Our property was .72 and he said that he couldn't grant us our permit, and to proceed I would need to sit in front of the animal appeal board. I would need three passing votes from the 5 members to keep our hens.
The fight was to keep 10 chickens (hens only). Needless to say the process to even getting a meeting was gruesome and took several months. The city sent out a letter to anyone that was within 300ft of my property asking them to either send in a letter/email or show up for the appeal date in support or opposition to the hens. We had 2 emails sent in that were against the hens. These people however didn't have any direct view of the coop from their properties. We were proactive and had all of our neighbors that were in direct eyesight of the coop sign our petition stating they were in FAVOR of the hens.
We finally sat done on Wednesday. Only three members showed up when I was promised 5. So you can bet I was sweating. I brought in a ton of pictures of the adorable coop and all of the views from the street and neighbors. i also provided several area maps showing who was in support of the hens.
The board sided with me and all three people passed the permit to keep the chickens. Since we were so close in the size of lot needed and all of my direct neighbors were for the hens they thought it was a no brainer. They also thanked me for being so well prepared.
I did have the MRTF ready in case there was a problem. And I am glad that I did. The assistant city attorney was there and I was afraid it could get ugly. Luckily I didn't have to use it!
We are super excited that we were allowed to keep our beautiful girls!
Please fee free to PM me if you would like to know what paperwork I used. I would be more than happy to share the full story with you!
We had started this battle in April of this year. We believe that the city inspector was driving through our neighborhood and spotted our little A-frame coop. We received a letter from the zoning person stating that we needed to be on .75 an acre to have ANY livestock. Our property was .72 and he said that he couldn't grant us our permit, and to proceed I would need to sit in front of the animal appeal board. I would need three passing votes from the 5 members to keep our hens.
The fight was to keep 10 chickens (hens only). Needless to say the process to even getting a meeting was gruesome and took several months. The city sent out a letter to anyone that was within 300ft of my property asking them to either send in a letter/email or show up for the appeal date in support or opposition to the hens. We had 2 emails sent in that were against the hens. These people however didn't have any direct view of the coop from their properties. We were proactive and had all of our neighbors that were in direct eyesight of the coop sign our petition stating they were in FAVOR of the hens.
We finally sat done on Wednesday. Only three members showed up when I was promised 5. So you can bet I was sweating. I brought in a ton of pictures of the adorable coop and all of the views from the street and neighbors. i also provided several area maps showing who was in support of the hens.
The board sided with me and all three people passed the permit to keep the chickens. Since we were so close in the size of lot needed and all of my direct neighbors were for the hens they thought it was a no brainer. They also thanked me for being so well prepared.
I did have the MRTF ready in case there was a problem. And I am glad that I did. The assistant city attorney was there and I was afraid it could get ugly. Luckily I didn't have to use it!
We are super excited that we were allowed to keep our beautiful girls!
Please fee free to PM me if you would like to know what paperwork I used. I would be more than happy to share the full story with you!
- Sep 14, 2012
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Congratulations! It is encouraging to know that not all municipalities are impossible to deal with.
That is good news. Congratulations!
So does that mean that everyone in Troy can now keep chickens, or did they just give you, personally, permission to keep your flock? I don't think we've seen that solution here before.
- Jun 18, 2012
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Wingless:
Anyone can have chickens in Troy provided they live on .75 an acre. If you live on anything less you must meet with the animal appeal board to tell them why you should have them. (We live on .72)
All of my neighbors were in support of the chickens which helped us. So they gave me the special variance because we were so close to the lot requirement and our neighbors were for the hens.
I researched a few animal appeal board meeting prior and they almost always denied the applicant for their request, but most of them were for raising pigeons on much less of a yard.
So I do believe they would have said NO if my lot was smaller and if I didn't have my neighbors support.
Anyone can have chickens in Troy provided they live on .75 an acre. If you live on anything less you must meet with the animal appeal board to tell them why you should have them. (We live on .72)
All of my neighbors were in support of the chickens which helped us. So they gave me the special variance because we were so close to the lot requirement and our neighbors were for the hens.
I researched a few animal appeal board meeting prior and they almost always denied the applicant for their request, but most of them were for raising pigeons on much less of a yard.
So I do believe they would have said NO if my lot was smaller and if I didn't have my neighbors support.
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