ATLANTA — Legislation to deter harassment claims against Georgia farmers filed by neighbors Thursday acquitted a committee in the state House of Representatives by ballot.
The Freedom to Farm Act would amend a law passed by the General Assembly in the late 1980s that governs harassment claims against farms in areas designated for agricultural use.
Additional safeguards are needed as nonfarmers and farmers live closer than ever before, Rep. Robert Dickey, R-Musella, chairman of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, told members of the committee.
“When the current law was passed, [farmers] had no non-farming neighbors,” he said. “Now urban encroachment is happening across Georgia.”
Under the law, neighbors who object to noise, odors, dust or polluted water from a farm have one year to file a lawsuit.
The one-year statute of limitations would not apply to “limited animal feed operations” such as a chicken coop or pig farm.
Advocates said state policymakers must do everything in their power to protect farmland from lawsuits at a time when fewer and fewer Georgians are pursuing a career in agriculture, while a growing population means an ever-increasing demand for food .
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm the list subscription.
Error! An error occurred while processing your request.
“We can’t go back and take back some of this country if we lose it,” said Rep. Dominic LaRiccia, R-Douglas.
While no one opposed the bill at Thursday’s hearing, opponents have argued that the current law provides farmers with adequate protections from lawsuits, while the Freedom to Farm Act would make it too difficult to bring a harassment case.
“It opens the door for new industrial-scale livestock farms and other polluting farming facilities to invade existing communities, cause nuisance and face no consequences,” read the discussion points published by opponents of the measure.
But Dickey said his bill should protect family farmers, not corporate farming.
“Ninety-eight percent of Georgia farms are family farms,” he said. “This bill isn’t about big farming, it’s about keeping our small family farms going without fear of pesky lawsuits.”
The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee to schedule a vote.
This story is available through a news partnership with the Capitol Beat News Service, a Georgia Press Educational Foundation project.
