Ok we are dealing with law, everyone forgets that that law is open to interpretation.
I'm familiar with the right to farm act. you can be new or grandfathered in, it is after all the
"right to farm act" and yes you do have to conform to the Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices or here on referred to gaamps. which is not hard.
there are some requirements on set backs from adjoining properties and such but if you can gain permission from your neighbors (in writing) you can ease that alot. if not you can take steps to alleviate issues.
Table 2. Category 1 Site Setbacks, Verification and Notification – New Operations
1May be reduced or increased based upon the Odor Management Plan.
2To be afforded nuisance protection under the Right to Farm Act, producers must conform to all requirements of the
from Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices
for Site Selection and Odor Control for New and Expanding
Livestock Production Facilities manual
located here
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/md...r_308157_7.pdf
the precedent set by the supremacy clause of the US constitution which in effect nullifies state law should it conflict with federal laws is called preemption. preemption can and is applied in similar fashion when local ordinance conflicts with state statute. In other words state law is the rule. so as long as you can show that you are with in the boundaries of the law and conform to of better then gaamps laid out by the MDA or you have permissions from your nearest neighbor you can tell the little township clown to take a hike and not to harass you any more. none of this falls in their legal jurisdiction or right to act, it falls to the MDA.
you can read the whole act on line as well as the gaamps requirements wich if your really want to do this I suggest you do the reading and dot you I's and cross your T's. by the way always keep a camera preferably a camcorder or dv recorder, post your property to the letter of the law. then if you get township officials poking around your property you will have a leg to stand on in court. we use to have one that liked to make trouble for people and would blatently tresspass till I nailed him and his boss to the wall. they have to follow the laws also.
you can always contact the mda and your local ag extension though I find they know little about the laws, I always end up talking to three different people and still get no clear anwser. they seem to only be concerned with big ag.
I forgot horses are a grey area. to me its still agriculture in that they are classified as livestock though many only consider them pets.
