The Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) recently held its annual convention ahead of this year’s legislative session. Members from across the state came together at Jekyll Island in December to discuss policy priorities, see the latest items at the annual trade show and elect their board. Following the convention, the GFB Board selected the issues the organization will focus on this year, those with the highest impact for Georgia farmers.
At the top of the list is Right to Farm legislation. The issue has been discussed in previous sessions but the aim is to provide meaningful protection from nuisance lawsuits when farmers are plying their trade following all the laws and regulations. Tremendous growth in areas of the state, particularly as metro Atlanta crawls further and further across Georgia, has started to push into traditionally agricultural areas. Residents in these new areas, likely drawn by the open spaces and large lots, sometimes suddenly find themselves less enthused sharing a fence with a farm, filing complaints against existing farming operations for the “sights, dust or smells that accompany farming,” according to a GFB statement.
Tom McCall is the president of the Georgia Farm Bureau. McCall is a grain and livestock farmer – and former State Representative – from Elbert County. McCall retired as a representative just last year, as Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. McCall thus brings some unique insight into both the workings of the legislature and some of the issues that matter most to farmers.
“Georgia Farm Bureau’s top priority this year at the state capitol is to strengthen our state’s current right to farm law. In the past, this has become a controversial issue when it did not have to be. Our state’s farmers need to know they will not be sued out of business for nuisance because new neighbors do not like the sights, sounds and smells that are inherent to agriculture,” said McCall. “Farmers in Georgia provide a safe and reliable food and fiber supply for us all while diligently working to protect the environment. We look forward to working with legislators this upcoming session who recognize the importance of agriculture and believe that farmers who are doing things the right way should be protected.”
The GFB further points out that Right to Farm helps to protect young farmers, something critical in an industry that skews much older. Dealing with the lawsuits and legal fees that can come from these types of complaints can be especially problematic for these young farmers that are taking on the large capital investment require for farming.
In addition to Right to Farm, the GFB is also focused on protecting access to and stewardship of natural resources, tax programs like the Conservation Use Value Assessment, the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE), ad valorem exemptions and regulations that don’t unduly restrict agriculture.
