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Righto FarmWhat s heMunlcipality'sRole n FarmRegulation?MorciD.GreenChief fLegalAffairs,State gricultureevelopmentommittee

n the most densely opulatedstate n the country, onf l ictsbetweenarmers,heir on-farmingneighbors nd ocalgovernmententities re common-andncreasing.TheRighto FarmAct,N.J.S.A.:1C-1et seq.,affords esponsiblearmersprotectionsgainstmunicipalegula-tions hatconstrainarming ndagainstpublic ndprivate uisancections.Enactedn 1983, he Righto FarmAct wascompanionegislationo theAgricultureetentionndDevelopmentAct,N.J.S.A.:1C-11 t seq.,whichestablishedewJersey's armlandPreservationrogram. heActsweredesignedo work ogethero preserveNewJersey's griculturalndustry-bykeepingand n agriculturendby protectingheabilityo farm.The wo Acts alsoestablishedhecounty gricultureevelopmentoards(CADBS)nd heStateAgricultureevel-opmentCommitteeSADC), stateagencyn,butnotof, heDepartmentfAgriculture.heSADC dministersheRight o FarmandFarmland reserva-tionPrograms,nd he CADBs dminis-ter hesame rogramsna local evel.In 1998, heAct wasamendedostrengthenheprotectionsor farmers.P.L. 998, .48.One f hemost ignif-icantchanges as o provideor pre-emption f municipalrdinancesha tseek o regulatepecific griculturalactivities s longas the agriculturaloperationeetsheeligibilitytandardsin the Act.The NewJerseySupremeCourt pheldheAct'smunicipalre -emptionrovision,indinghat armersmayconductertain griculturalctivi-tiesdespite unicipalegulationso thecontrary.Townshipf Franklin . denHollander,l72.J. 47 (20021l.The ol lowingre somecommonquestionsndanswers bout ow he

Act affects ourauthorityo regulateagriculturalctivities.Q Are all farmers entitled to thep-rotections f the Act?A No.TheAct s designedo protectonly esponsiblearmers homeet hedefinitionf "commercialfarm."Thecriteriaor eligibility,s set orth n heAct, ncludehe ollowing:. Toqualify s a commercialarm,anoperationat is larger an fiveacresmustannuallyngagenagricufturalrhorticulturalroductionorthat least52,500andbe eligibleor differentialpropertyaxationursuanto theFarrnland ssessmentctof 1964,N.J.S.A.54:423.L For armssmaller an fveacres, he annual roductionequirementsa minimumf550,000 nd te

farmmustsatisfyte eligibilityequirementsor farmland ssessment,frerftan he arrnsizeequirement.. Agriculture ustbe a permittedseon he armunderhe municipalon-ingordinance,r be consistent iththemunicipalaster lanas of Dec.3I . 1997 lf the commercialarmwas n operation n heeffective ateof the amendmentso theRightoFarm ct July ,1998),however,hezoning rdinance/masterlan equirement oes otneedo bemet.. The armermust onductisoperation,or a specific griculturalctivity tissue,n complianceith te standardscontainedn agriculturalanagemenpracticestat havebeenpromulgated

continuednpage62

The Right to Farm Act, N.J.S.A. 4:7C-L ef seg., affords responsible armersprotectionsagainstmunicipal regulations that constrain farming and againstpublic and private nuisance actions.

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by heSADC, rwithgeneralVccept-edagriculturalractices.. Theoperation ustbe in compli-ancewith elevanttateand ederalstatutesnd ules.. Theoperation ustnotposea directthreato public ealth nd afety.Q lf a farmer meets he eligibilitYc-riteriaof the Act, do his agricul-tural activitiesautomaticallypre-empt municipalordinances?A No. Al thoughhe New JerseYSupreme ourt pheldheAct'smunici-palpre-emptionrovision,t cautionedthat he county gricultureevelop-mentboards CADBs)nd he StateAgriculture evelopmentommittee(SADC),o not have carteblanche"right o imposeheirviews, nddirect-ed he agencieso considerocalordt-nances nd egulationshatmayaffectanagriculturalctivity.d.at151-152.TheCourt lso eldhat heSADCndCADBs ust onsiderhe mpact f heagriculturalctivitynpublic ealth ndsafety andtemperheirdeterminationswith hesestandardsn mind."d. at151.Whereheres a conflict etweenanagricuhuralctivityndanordinance,a farmermaynot have o comPlywith

theordinancef he candemonstrate"legitimateagriculturally-basedeason"fornotcomplying.d.at153.Q What are agriculturalmanage-rient practices AMPs)?I Agriculturalanagementracticesrestandardsor specific griculturalctivi-ties hatarepromulgatedy theSADCthroughhe ulemakingrocedure.arrnersmustbe n complianceithAMPsoreceveheprotectionsf theAct. f anactivitys notaddressedya promulgat-edAMP,he armermustbe n comPli-ancewrthgenerallycceptedgriculturalmanagementractices.heSADC ndCADBselyupon griculturalndsoilexoertso makehisdetermination.

postoperations,encingnstallat ionandaquaculture.t currentlys draftingAMPsor equineperations,armmar-kets, reenhousesndagritourism.Q Whereshoulda municiPalitYeekrEfiefwhen t believesa farmer is inviolationof itsordinances?I When n indiv idual ,nc ludingmunicipality,s "aggrieved"by a com-merc ia l arm operat ion,he Actrequiresuchpersonso ftlea com-plaint ith heapplicableADB rior ofiling n actionn court.Municipalitiesseekingo enforceheirordinancesrethereforeequiredo file a complaintwith heCADBatherhan ssue sum-mons gainsthe armer. heSADC r

TheNew ersey upremeourt pheldheAct'smunicipalreemptionrovision,indinghatfarmers ay onductertain griculturalctivitiesdespite unicipalegulationso thecontrary.

mlEndorsedyTheNJSfafe eaguefMunicipalities!

To date, he SADC as adoptedAMPsor apiar ies, oul t ry anureapplication,ood processingy-prod-uct application,ommercialegetableand ree f rur tproduct ion,aturalresourceonservation,n-farmom-

CADB ouldhen old public earingto determine hetherhe armer sentitledo theprotectionsf heAct.In lredenHollanderecision,heNewJersey upreme ourt ecognizedhattheSADC ndCADBsaveprimaryuris-diction verdisputesetween unicipali-tiesand ommercialfarmsmeaninghatsuchdisputes hould e heard y theagenciesatherhann court.d.at 151.(Allinal ecisionsf heSADC,owever,canbe appealedo theNewJerseYSuperiorourt, ppellateivision.)Forexample, armer rown rowsfruitsandvegetablesn a farm nSalem ounty. ehasexperiencedig-nificant ropdamageromdeer ha twander ntohis arm romanadjacentcounty ark.Farmer rown rectsahigh-tensileovenwire enceat aheight f eight eetaround is arm opreventhedeer romenteringisprotrerty.A township rdinancerohibitsfencinghatexceedsix eet n height.lf the ownshio ishedo enforcetsfence rdinancegainstarmer rown,twould e requiredofilea complainttththe ocalCADBatherhan ssue summons ndproceedingn municipalourt.TheCADB ould olda public earingodeterminehether armer rownmeetstlreeligibilityriteria ftheAct.TheCADBwould onsiderhe ownship'srdinanceand he reasonsor the ordinance.t

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