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.
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