Respect the Farmer's Private Property 

Farmers take pride in owning and caring for their land. Those whose families have been farming for generations are working hard to protect their land for future generations.

If your neighbors or nearby residents are farmers, please respect their private property. Farmland is private property, not public space available for four-wheeling, snowmobiling or other recreational activities, unless the landowner has specifically granted permission to use the land.

In addition, dumping brush, grass and other debris on farmland disrespects the land and its owner by interfering with planting and harvesting. When the farm has been preserved and therefore holds an agricultural conservation easement, such activities are violations of their deed of easement and must cease.

If you would like to hunt on farmland, please ask the farmer for permission.


Respect the Farm as a Business

The farm is a business established to generate a profit, and requires a significant capital investment to start, operate and sustain.

The scenic beauty of a farm attracts not only residential developers but individuals who long to build a home in a rural setting. Homeowners should be aware that living next to a farm is not the same as establishing a residence by a state forest, state game lands, state or local park.

Routine farming practices carried out by the owner of the adjoining farmland have characteristics common to many industrial enterprises. Production involves activities that generate waste products, noise, and odors; may involve the use of pesticides, herbicides, and machinery, and entails operations beyond "regular business hours." Raw materials are shipped in, processed, and shipped out as value-added products.

Farms located in designated Agricultural Security Areas (ASAs) are protected from nuisance ordinances such as noise and odors.

Farmers appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Respect For Farmland Printout