5-31-06
Contact: Reginald S. Hall, (803) 936-4409

Right to Farm Statement by
SC Farm Bureau Federation President
David Winkles, Jr. 

Columbia, SC - The future of South Carolina agriculture shines brighter for family farmers now that the “Right to Farm” bill (S. 1205) has become law. After healthy debates, the bill was overwhelmingly passed by the General Assembly and Governor Sanford set aside his predisposition to veto the bill and allowed it to become law without his signature.

The Right to Farm law simply acknowledges the technical and scientific expertise of the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as the sole regulatory authority on issues of agricultural permitting. The existing State comprehensive livestock regulations are among the toughest in the nation and are commonly used by other states as model regulations. Farmers have accepted them and are living by them.

The Right to Farm law repeals county ordinances that had been enacted in efforts to prohibit the expansion of agricultural operations within their borders. Counties may still “regulate” agriculture through proper land use planning and zoning but they can no longer impose random controls, which were often based on emotion and the absence of scientific logic.

Watershed events like the passage of S. 1205 do not just happen. Farm Bureau has long held farmers’ rights and land use as priority legislative policies. In recent years similar bills have been close to passage, but were stopped in the last days of legislative sessions by short sighted legislators who would rather turn their backs on our farmers and the contributions they make to our State’s economy than to protect the ability for them to stay in business. Legislators who support farmers and South Carolina agriculture are to be commended.

Especially important to the bill’s success this year was the staunch unwavering leadership exhibited by Senate Ag Committee Chairman Larry Grooms and House Ag Committee
Chairman Billy Witherspoon. These men clearly understand the importance of our family farmers and what they mean to the stability of our rural economies. Others instrumental in the bill’s passage this year were Senators Brad Hutto, Larry Martin, Tommy Moore, Harvey Peeler, Greg Ryberg, and Danny Verdin. Representative Marion Frye was an essential team leader for the bill in the House. Support for the Right to Farm was bi-partisan and came from rural as well as urban law makers.

Another group essential to S. 1205 becoming the Right to Farm law are the grassroots members of the SC Farm Bureau. Young farmers, seasoned farmers, row crop farmers, and livestock farmers all pulled together to help put a face on the need to protect our rights to stay in the business of feeding and clothing the world. One state official commented not only on how many calls his office received, he also commented on the respectful tone and respect each caller demonstrated as they shared personal reasons for why the Right to Farm bill should become law.

By the nature of what we do for a living, farmers already work against the odds of weather, world markets, commodity prices, and threats of plant and animal diseases. Our farmers do a great job overcoming those challenges to produce the safest, most affordable, abundant food supply in the world. With the passage of Right to Farm, state lawmakers have allowed farmers to get back to work with one less worry on being put out of business. This is a great day for South Carolina agriculture.

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David Winkles is the President of the SC Farm Bureau Federation, a grassroots membership agricultural advocacy organization promoting and protecting family farms, South Carolina agriculture, and rural lifestyles.