Friends of Rural New York

Many so called “experts” have recently opined that the days of anti-corporate farming laws are numbered. But anti-corporate farming laws, ordinances, and related policies do not seem to be waning, numerically at least.

In Pennsylvania, 12 townships and five counties passed anti-corporate farming legislation. In North Dakota, three counties recently adopted rigorous guidelines for industrial livestock facilities in response to efforts to site large operations there.

And while states such as Iowa and Illinois eliminated the rights of counties to use zoning to exercise some control over the type of livestock production in their jurisdiction, in other states like Nebraska and North Dakota, zoning is alive and well. In fact, it is on the increase in North Dakota.

In Missouri, local battles over industrial livestock operations continue to rage. Fourteen counties have passed ordinances restricting the expansion of industrial operations. Nine more counties are exploring similar ordinances.

Read more: http://www.cfra.org/newsletter/current.htm
Center for Rural Affairs

Contact: John Crabtree,