Posted January 17, 2014
A North Carolina Superior Court judge recently heard
arguments on whether a farm can operate a shooting range as an agritourism
activity and will rule in the coming weeks, according to an article by WNCN
available here.
Drake Landing at Andrews Farm operates as a shooting
range and claims that it is an agritourism activity. Neighbors, on the other hand, argue that it
should be regulated like a shooting range.
Superior Court Judge Winston Gilchrist will decide
whether the opponents of the shooting range received a proper opportunity to
present their argument to the Harnett County Board and whether a shooting range
can claim exemption from local zoning because it is located on a farm, according
to an article by the Fayetteville Observer available here.
North Carolina’s agritourism statutes are available here.
Agritourism allows owners of farms, ranches or other
agricultural business to entertain or educate visitors and generate income from
those activities. Examples of
agritourism include pumpkin patches, corn mazes, U-pick operations, petting
zoos, hay rides, demonstration farms, winery tours and wine tasting, and
on-farm farmers’ markets.
The National Agricultural Law Center offers helpful
resources on legal issues in agritourism here. The National Agricultural Law Center also
offers a State Law Clearinghouse, providing statutes for every state that has
enacted agritourism laws. The agritourism
statutes are available here.
