SENATE BILL 88/HOUSE BILL 1601

All 50 U.S. states have enacted “Right to Farm” laws that protect farmers and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits filed by individuals who move into a rural area where normal farming operations exist and then use legal actions to stop or interfere with ongoing bona fide farming operations.  Florida’s Right to Farm legislation was enacted in 1979 to protect agricultural operations from these types of actions and is in need of updating.

As our state continues to experience unprecedented growth and as residential development continues to encroach upon our rural areas, the possibility for increased complaints regarding farming practices approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services could rise. Opponents of the bill wrongly claim that this would give full immunity for any action on a farm. It’s important to note that the Right to Farm Law, and this effort to modernize it, will only provide protections for actions that conform with generally accepted agricultural practices, state and federal regulations or BMPs.

For more information on this issue, as well as other Florida Farm Bureau priority issues for the 2021 Legislative Session, view the FFBF Briefing Packet.

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See how local farmers and ranchers are fighting for their Right to Farm. Click on each of the quotes below, to read each of the full editorials.