Creating an 'Undeveloped Lands Protection Act' for Farmlands, Forests, and Natural Areas

Abstract

"The farm community and agribusiness firms have long championed right-to-farm legislation to preclude nuisance lawsuits from adversely affecting their activities and businesses. Agriculture was recognized as different from other business activities and deserving of special dispensation.The protection in many early right-to-farm laws was to cover the growing and harvesting of crops, the feeding, breeding, and management of livestock, and other agricultural and horticultural uses.Some laws sought to preserve farmland from urban sprawl.Over the subsequent decades, right-to-farm laws were amended to expand protection to business and service activities including marketing operations and processors."