Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act Resource Area

Center Resources

Research Publications:

• Pennsylvania Right to Farm Law Fact Sheet
• Right to Farm issues in Pennsylvania: arriving at Act 38 (Aug. 2005) (see pages 4-5)
• Other States' Approaches to Right to Farm Laws (June 2004)
• Village of Rothbury v. Double JJ Resort Ranch, Inc. (2004)
• Pennsylvania Nuisance Law (June 2000)
• Farm Protection from Nuisance Lawsuits (1999)
• Understanding "Right to Farm" Laws (1999)

Presentations:

• Pennsylvania Right to Farm Law PowerPoint (2009)

Agricultural Law Brief Articles:

• Proposed Illinois Dairy Farm Prevails in Nuisance Litigation Filed by Environmental Group
  (Jan. 2010) (see page 2)
• Court of Common Pleas Upholds Ruling in Favor of Poultry Farm in Nuisance Case
  (Sept. 2009) (see page 2)
• California Strengthens Right to Farm Law By Adding Purchaser Notification Requirement
  (Feb. 2009) (see page 2)

Statutes

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania statutes are accessible online through the Unofficial Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes website. Be aware that this information is subject to change as a result of subsequent amendments. Please consult an attorney if you are in need of the most up-to-date statutory information.

• Protection of Agricultural Operations from Nuisance Suits and Ordinances, 3 Pa. Stat. §§ 951-957

Case Law

Some of these cases may be available at a law library or accessible online for those with LexisNexis, Westlaw, or other electronic database accounts.

Pennsylvania Superior Court:

• Horne v. Haladay, 728 A.2d 954 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1999) (finding that a suit must be filed within one year of lawful inception of business operation or substantial change to the business).
  • Case Summary (as provided by the Ag Law Center)

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court:

• Corbett v. Richmond Twp., 2 A.3d 678 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010) (finding that an ordinance “which requires that solid and liquid wastes be disposed of daily in a manner to avoid creating a public nuisance” violates section 3(a) of the RFL).
   
• Wellington Farms, Inc. v. Twp. of Silver Springs, 679 A.2d 267 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1996) (finding Right to Farm Act did not protect poultry slaughterhouse).

Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas:

• Remaley v. Zook, No. CV 580-2007 (Snyder Ct. Com. Pl. Apr. 29, 2009) (holding that odor from poultry farm did not constitute a nuisance as a matter of law).
  • Remaley v. Zook, No. CV 580-2007 (Snyder Ct. Com. Pl. Aug. 14, 2009) (denying motion for post-trial relief).
     
• In re: Robinson, No. 03-10662, 2005 Pa. D. & C. LEXIS 337 (Montgomery Ct. Com. Pl. Nov. 18, 2005) (finding there must be sufficient evidence to show an activity meets the statute’s definition of “farming” for the Right to Farm Act to apply).
   
• In re: Burger, 17 Pa. D. & C.4th 280 (Bucks Ct. Com. Pl. 1992) (finding that a zoning ordinance was not considered a nuisance ordinance under the Right to Farm Act). 

Agency Decisions:

• Stine Farms and Recycling v. Pa. Dep't of Envtl. Prot., 2001 E.H.B. 796 (Pa. Envtl. Hr’g Bd. 2001) (holding Right to Farm Act does not place limitations on the Commonwealth's authority to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; holding Right-to-Farm Act does not defeat the intent of any statute or regulation other than nuisance ordinances as they apply to normal agricultural operations).

Publications

Some of these articles may be available at a law library or accessible online for those with LexisNexis, Westlaw, or other electronic database accounts. Some hyperlinks may only be available for those users with access to HeinOnline.

Law Review Articles:

• Fruit of the Vine: Understanding the Need to Establish Wineries’ Rights Under the Right to Farm Law, Katherine Pohl, 116 Penn St. L. Rev. 223, 223-251 (2011).
• Governments and Unconstitutional Takings: When Do Right-To-Farm Laws Go Too Far?, Terence J. Centner, 33 B.C. Envtl. Aff. L. Rev. 87 (2005).
• Pennsylvania's Right-To-Farm Law: A Relief For Farmers Or An Unconstitutional Taking?, Jennifer Beidel, 110 Penn St. L. Rev. 163, 163-185 (2005).
• The Pennsylvanian Farmer Receives No Real Protection From the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act, Thomas McNulty, 10 Penn St. Envtl. L. Rev. 81, 81-104 (2001).
• Right-To-Farm Laws: Breaking New Ground in the Preservation of Farmland, Jacqueline Hand, 45 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 289, 289-350 (1984).

Other Publications:

• Right-To-Farm Laws Fact Sheet (Farmland Information Center, American Farmland Trust)

Links

• American Farmland Trust
  • Putting Right-To-Farm Laws to Work Webinar: New York (see time 00:37:40)
• The National Agricultural Law Center
  • Urban Encroachment Reading Room
  • Compendium of States' Right-to-Farm Statutes