NH State Senate Passes Agrotourism Reform Bill SB412 - Granite Grok

NH State Senate Passes Agrotourism Reform Bill SB412

Forster's Tree Farm
Forster’s Tree Farm

The first thing you need to know about SB412 (and why you should praise its passage in the state Senate) is that the mopes in Henniker don’t like it. And here’s why.

No municipality shall adopt an ordinance, bylaw, definition, or policy regarding agritourism activities that conflict with the definition of agritourism in RSA 21:34-a.

Further, it creates a Commissioner of Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food Dispute Board where farmers can petition the board and obtain a ruling to decide if the municipal ordinance regarding agritourism conflicts with RSA 21:34-a.

If you are new to GraniteGrok and can’t imagine why the Lords and Ladies who presume to rule that plucky berg would be distressed by such legislative language float your mouse to the right and in the search box type “Henniker,” “Forster,” or “Christmas Tree Farm” and get caught up.

For the rest of you, the change looks to be a major improvement.

At present local boards can to do farmers what they so often do to everyone else. Hold them hostage. Towns and school districts use every bureaucratic roadblock available to force people into either giving up or wading into an expensive court fight. The governing body has town lawyers and taxpayer money. Everyone else has to find the finds.

The potential fiscal ruin of a prolonged court battle works to the bureaucrat’s favor, leaving (in this case) cash-strapped farmers with few alternatives.

Over in Hennikeristan, where their officers have been eating out Steve Forester’s substance for years over his efforts to hold weddings on his tree farm are not happy about SB412. It would take away their ability to torture Steve Forster or anyone else if the Commissioner of Ag board sees a conflict between the ordinance and state law.

The court is, of course, still an option, but it is not the next option for farmers when confronted with what may be little more than local hostility with no legitimate legal backing for their obstruction.

The NH Senate passed SB412, I am told, will their full support. That says something.

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