Michigan Right to Farm Law, what does it mean?

[3Ducks]

I am a duck owner though.I have no chickens

 

[HandsOffMyHens]

I can offer a suggestion about vermin. Our chickens are actually in an aviary type pen. We have a 10 X 10 welded wire dog kennel with a roof. Our daughter found a thin young cat living in a dumpster at a hotel while we were travelling for a dog show a couple years ago on her birthday. We don't have any cats because we have friends and family who are highly allergic. She begged to keep the cat and I told her to call her dad at home and ask him (knowing how much he dislikes cats lol) I wasn't going to be the bad guy on her birthday and tell her no. Apparently he felt the same way because he told her she could have it as long as she kept it outside. So then I had to figure out how to get this cat home from Ohio in a van with three Siberian Huskies who are cat chasers. He ended up riding in a small crate on my daughters lap up front. We got him cleaned up at the vet, dewormed, vaccinated, neutered and we set up another run next to the chickens. He has a ten by ten roofed pen to play in with big dead branches that go up to a hanging basket in the ceiling where he sleeps. He has an electric heated bed in his basket and a heated water bowl in the winter. When my daughter lets the chickens out daily she also opens his door and lets him play in the yard as well.
Any field mice that happen to cross his pen to go to the chicken pen are fair game and he kills them all the time. We haven't see any rats but we keep our food in tight containers and keep the pen cleaned up. We can't let the cat just wander the yard because we live on a 50 mph road and right next to the 70 mph freeway. He wouldn't live long. But he is safe, clean, dry and well-fed outside in his pen and he does a good job taking out any little mousies attracted by chicken food.

 

[wingless]

Hey everybody, I want to give just a brief update on where we currently stand with respect to the 2014 GAAMPs.

As you all know, the deadline for the Public Comment period was January 22nd at 5 pm. Just after that deadline I FOIA'd MDARD for copies of all of the written comments that they received by email, mail, or during the public comment session. I am still waiting for them to fulfill my request, but just want to say that I've been told to expect 800 pages in response to my request.

I'll share what is in those 800 pages when I get them. Meanwhile, I hope folks are planning on attending the next meeting of the Ag Commission on February 12th, when the changes that aim to strip most of us from RTF protection will be formally introduced to the Ag Commission.

 

[wingless]

I want to let everyone know that the results of the public comment period are now posted on the MDARD website:
http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1572_2878-321305--,00.html

You'll note that the comments are divided into ten different attachments because there are so many - if I am not mistaken, there are a total of 843 pages in those 10 attachments, written by hundreds of Michigan citizens, with the vast majority asking the Commission to NOT approve the proposed changes for the 2014 GAAMPs.

I think that never in the history of the world have so many spoken so clearly about the importance of being free to participate in agriculture, no matter where you live.

Thanks to the hundreds of people who wrote letters or attended the meeting in person, and thanks to BYC and this RTF thread, for creating a space where so many of us could learn from each other about what our legal rights actually are, and then to act to protect those rights.

 

[RTFchickens]

Being stuck on the couch, AGAIN after surgery again yesterday I have had lots of time to kill. I've been reading comments to MDARD since 6am. I'm just only scratching the surface, but I'm extremely impressed, and proud of our Michigan residents for advocating for small farming.
I'm glad there have been many people with LARGE rural, zoned residential people speaking up, as well as small property urban farmers also making excellent cases for RTF protection.
I'm hoping to go to the Feb Ag meeting, and speaking up and looking them in the eye advocating for our right to farm!

If it were not for the knowledge and generosity of this right to farm thread, my township would have bullied us out of farming by now. Thank you to all!

 

[RTFchickens]

As I said, I'm stuck on the couch still/again, so I've called: Debbie Stabbenow, Rep Victory, Sen Boher, and Sen Meekhof (all representing my districts) asking how THEY feel about proposed site selection GAAMPS. Reminding them that small farming is good for the environment, economy, and residents in general.
Hopefully my voice is heard! I've got lots and lots of time to keep their phones ringing, so everyone in their offices know how I feel ;-)

 

[RTFchickens]

As some of you may know, I contacted my senators office a while back. The assistant called MDARD about my concerns. MDARD told the sen office that townships have rule over who is and is not allowed to farm based on the local ordinances, NOT the other way around.
I called the same senators office today to see how they felt about the proposed changes to GAAMPS, and with these proposed changes, I pointed out that he was clearly lied to about local townships having the right to disallow farming. I asked if HE read the right to farm act, and he said no!!! I asked if he even knew about the June, 2000 amendment section 6 where it CLEARLY states that local ordinances are superceeded by the Right To Farm Act!!! He had no idea what I was talking about!
So I copied and emailed it to him...
We have a lot of educating to do guys! If the senators office is unaware of what the MRTFA even says, we have a definite uphill battle on our hands!

 

[CaraBear]

From USA TODAY:
Obama to sign farm bill in Michigan
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama heads to Lansing, Mich., on Friday to sign a landmark piece of agricultural legislation, but don't be surprised if talk surrounding the event centers on more controversial subjects.

http://usat.ly/1fNGcrK

Oh, the irony!

 

[chickwhispers]

Yes I saw that! Oh yes the irony!!!!

I wish someone would ask about the small farm issue! That would be nice!

Probably won't even be brought up. They only care about the "big guys" not all the "little people" who put them where they are with their votes and/or work!

Someday CEO's, other corporate "biggies" , politicians and anyone with a lot of power or influence will realize they are where they are from the work of the rest of us!

OK off my soap box.

 

[wingless]

Well, a lot of the discussion that used to happen on this site is now happening on the Michigan Small Farm Council FaceBook page:
https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil

As someone who prefers the kind of in-depth discussion that took place here, I've also created a discussion forum to talk not only about RTF with respect to backyard chickens, but also other small farm issues in Michigan. That forum is here: http://www.michigansmallfarmforum.com

And then the Michigan Small Farm Council website has basic info about the MSFC, and if you read through our newsletters and action alerts you can keep abreast of the work we've been doing to keep RTF strong for small farmers in Michigan, during these very difficult days: http://www.michigansmallfarmcouncil.org

But what I really want to say is that awhile ago Vikki Papesh was kind enough to send me the Affidavit that MDARD wrote for her in 2006, which explained that the only GAAMPs that she was required to meet for her small chicken operation, was the manure GAAMPs, and that MDARD was satisfied with her manure management plan. That document also states specifically that she did not have to meet the Site Selection GAAMPs for a number of reasons, including the fact that she had fewer than 50 animal units.

Reading that document reminds me of what I used to expect that MDARD would be like - a state agricultural agency that supports agriculture by helping small farmers run their operations in a responsible manner, so they can pursue their work without harm to their neighbors or to the environment.

I feel like we still have a right to expect that. The law hasn't changed since Steve Mahoney wrote that affidavit in 2006, so there is no justification for MDARD changing its internal policy, especially when the law so clearly and unambiguously protects us.

I can't post a pdf here, but I've posted it on my website so everyone can have an example of what a GAAMPs inspection by MDARD in 2006 was like, as a positive example of what we've been fighting for. Just scroll down to the section on the Papesh case, and find the link to the MDARD affidavit: http://sustainablefarmpolicy.org/the-courts/

Or email me, and I'll send it to you directly. [email protected]