TRENTON, N.J. – The Assembly Agriculture Committee approved legislation today sponsored by Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths protecting a farmers' right to sell firewood.
"Farming has evolved through the years, and farmers have had to adapt to those changes by expanding their sources of income," said Space (R-Sussex). "Penalizing farmers for selling firewood regardless of whether they grew the trees themselves is ludicrous. Now that enforcement officials are imposing lumberyard regulations on these family farms, we need to clarify that law."
The measure (A157) amends the Right to Farm Act that regulates farm practices. It allows a farm or farm stand to sell firewood obtained from property other than the sellers without being considered a lumber yard under municipal zoning regulations.
"We should not be doing anything to make an already challenging job more difficult," said Wirths (R-Sussex). "Farming is a vital industry for New Jersey which is why it's known as the Garden State. It's absurd that our hard-working farmers have to be concerned about receiving a citation for selling firewood on their farms."
The bill was prompted by a Mount Olive farmer who received a zoning violation for selling wood obtained off-site. His family had been doing so for decades, but the town's zoning officer determined it was a logging operation and lumberyard.
The Agriculture committee unanimously approved the legislation last session, but it never received a floor vote.
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"Farming has evolved through the years, and farmers have had to adapt to those changes by expanding their sources of income," said Space (R-Sussex). "Penalizing farmers for selling firewood regardless of whether they grew the trees themselves is ludicrous. Now that enforcement officials are imposing lumberyard regulations on these family farms, we need to clarify that law."
The measure (A157) amends the Right to Farm Act that regulates farm practices. It allows a farm or farm stand to sell firewood obtained from property other than the sellers without being considered a lumber yard under municipal zoning regulations.
"We should not be doing anything to make an already challenging job more difficult," said Wirths (R-Sussex). "Farming is a vital industry for New Jersey which is why it's known as the Garden State. It's absurd that our hard-working farmers have to be concerned about receiving a citation for selling firewood on their farms."
The bill was prompted by a Mount Olive farmer who received a zoning violation for selling wood obtained off-site. His family had been doing so for decades, but the town's zoning officer determined it was a logging operation and lumberyard.
The Agriculture committee unanimously approved the legislation last session, but it never received a floor vote.
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