Dear Friend,
Hidden Creek Farm is a small sustainable farm in Dalton County, Michigan and a farmer member of ours at Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. A nuisance action was filed in court against Hidden Creek Farm after they offered a special one-day sale event for customers.
Unfortunately, the judge who heard the case disregarded the expertise of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Right to Farm Act. The Court found, contrary to MDARD, that the applicable Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) required that there be 250 feet between the farms’ property line and neighboring homes, rather than 250 feet from the livestock facility.
The MDARD site selection GAAMP committee has since changed the rule to make it crystal clear that a livestock facility must be 250 feet from a neighboring home, not that there be 250 feet between the farm property line and a neighboring home.
We are proud to have successfully defended member Hidden Creek Farm which led to a positive clarification in the state’s GAAMPs. This new rule is a win for small farms across the state of Michigan.
Read the full story HERE or find out more about member benefits HERE.
In good health,
Alexia Kulwiec
Executive Director
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