Case Law Index Local Food Systems
January 1, 2002 – September 15, 2021
This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving local food systems that were decided between the dates listed above. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order. The “Text” link goes to the freely available Google Scholar text of the opinion. These listings are for educational purposes only, and are not a substitute for legal counsel.
SUPREME COURT
Horne v. Dep’t of Agric., 569 U.S. 513, 133 S. Ct. 2053, 186 L. Ed. 2d 69 (2013) (producers v. handlers subject to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act, Farmer-to Consumer Direct Marketing Act, raisins) Text
FIRST CIRCUIT
Shire City Herbals, Inc. v. Blue, 410 F.Supp.3d 270 (D. Mass. Sept. 30, 2019) (trademark infringement for herbal dietary supplemental drink) Text
SECOND CIRCUIT
Kampfer v. Reu, No. 6:08-CV-708, 2011 WL 572431, at *1 (N.D.N.Y. Feb. 15, 2011) (removal from a farmer’s market)
THIRD CIRCUIT
E. Armata, Inc. v. 27 Farmers Mkt., Inc., No. CIVA 08-5212 KSH, 2009 WL 2386074, at *1 (D.N.J. July 31, 2009) (non-payment for perishable goods)Text
Freeman v. Fischer, 563 F.Supp.2d 493 (D.N.J. 2008) (dormant commerce clause challenge to state liquor distribution law) Text
FOURTH CIRCUIT
Clement v. Satterfield, 927 F. Supp. 2d 297 (W.D. Va. 2013) (denial of opportunity to become vendor at farmer’s market) Text
Hill v. Courter III, 344 F.Supp.2d 484 (E.D. Va. 2004) (challenging inspection of goat cheese) Text
FIFTH CIRCUIT
Siesta Vill. Mkt., LLC v. Perry, 530 F.Supp.2d 848 (N.D. Tex. 2008) (challenge to state scheme regulating distribution of out of state wine) Text
SIXTH CIRCUIT
Country Mill Farms, LLC v. City of E. Lansing, No. 1:17-CV-487, 2017 WL 11444048, at *1 (W.D. Mich. Sept. 15, 2017) (denial of vendor’s application for farmer’s market) Text
Prater v. City of Jackson, Tennessee, No. 1:05-CV-1342, 2007 WL 9710159, at *1 (W.D. Tenn. Aug. 16, 2007) (challenging the exclusion from a farmer’s market)
SEVENTH CIRCUIT
Brewer v. Town of Eagle, — F.Supp.3d —, 2021 WL 3473243 (E.D. Wis. 2021) (Community supported agriculture zoning) Text
Lovette-Cephus v. Vill. of Park Forest, 587 F. App’x 983 (7th Cir. 2014) (Action for imposing stricter business-licensing requirements on proposed bakery) Text
EIGHTH CIRCUIT
Foster v. Vilsack, 820 F.3d 330 (8th Cir. 2016) (Food security, local area soil regulation) Text
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Def. Fund v. Sebelius, No C 10-4018-MWB, 2012 WL 219376 (N.D. Iowa 2012) (denial of request for injunction against FDA) Text
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Def. Fund v. Sebelius, 734 F. Supp. 2d 668 (N.D. Iowa 2010) (challenging validity of FDA regulations on milk packaging form) Text
NINTH CIRCUIT
Theodoropoulos v. Cty. of Los Angeles, No. 219CV00417JGBKES, 2019 WL 5978876 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 13, 2019)(challenging excessive fees on vendors)Text
Mahgerefteh v. City of Torrance, 324 F. Supp. 3d 1121 (C.D. Cal. 2018)(constitutionality of municipal code relating to the farmers’ market) Text
Black Star Farms, LLC v. Oliver, 544 F.Supp.2d 913 (D. Ariz. 2008) (challenge to state scheme regulating distribution of out of state wine) Text
TENTH CIRCUIT
Randleas v. Neece, No. 00-1424-JTM, 2002 WL 226401 (D. Kan. Feb. 8, 2002) (termination from farmer’s market cooperative)
ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
United States v. Ocala Live Stock Mkt., Inc., 861 F. Supp. 2d 1328 (M.D. Fla. 2012) (selling livestock in violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act) Text
Levin v. City of Palm Beach Gardens City Attorney’s Office ex rel. Tatum, 303 Fed. App’x 847 (11th Cir. 2008) (alleging discriminatory farmers market classifications) Text
D.C. CIRCUIT
McAfee v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, — F.Supp.3d —, 2021 WL 2073402 (D.D.C. 2021) (required pasteurization of butter)
District of Columbia v. United States Department of Agriculture, 496 F.Supp.3d 213 (D.D.C. 2020) (USDA limiting state implemented waivers of work requirements for SNAP eligibility) Text
Food & Water Watch, Inc. v. Vilsack, 808 F.3d 905 (D.C. Cir. 2015) (challenging poultry-processing inspection process) Text
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund v. Vilsack, 636 F.Supp.2d 116 (D.D.C. 2009) (challenging the National Animal Identification System) Text
Nat’l Women, Infants, & Children Grocers Ass’n v. Food & Nutrition Serv., 416 F.Supp.2d 92 (D.D.C. 2006) (WIC; small business) Text
Nat’l Women, Infants, & Children Grocers Ass’n v. Food & Nutrition Serv., Civ.A. 05-2432(EGS), 2005 WL 3576840 (D.D.C. Dec. 29, 2005) (WIC; enjoined)
CALIFORNIA
California Grocers Assn. v. City of Los Angeles, 52 Cal. 4th 177, 254 P.3d 1019 (2011) (labor and employment, preemption with city employment and health and safety codes) Text
Clasby v. McColm, No. B209008, 2010 WL 312523 (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 28, 2010) (exclusion from operating in farmers’ market) Text
Bronco Wine Co. v. Jolly, 129 Cal. App. 4th 988 (Cal. Ct. App., 2005) (geographic labeling, wine) Text
CONNECTICUT
Szynkowicz v. State, 65 Conn. L. Rptr. 777, 2018 WL 1041506 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2018) (farm stand insurance)
Eldridge v. Town of Stafford Planning and Zoning Commission, 2018 WL 7046889 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2018) (farm stands and zoning)
Pukonen v. Guilford Planning & Zoning Com’n, No. NNHCV136039560S, 2015 WL 1086869 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2015) (farm stand special use permit)
Caparaso v. Prospect Zoning Bd. Of Appeals, No. UWYCV126012856S, 2013 WL 2383607 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2013) (Community Supporting Agriculture zoning)
Zanette v. Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals, 2006 WL 3316770 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2006) (farm stands and zoning)
Abrams v. Jones, 2005 WL 1331232 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2005) (product liability, apple cider)
Messina v. Fifty Acres, L.L.C., 2004 WL 945058 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2004) (farm stands and zoning)
GEORGIA
Ga. Dep’t of Agric. v. Brown, 607 S.E.2d 259 (Ga. Ct. App. 2004) (revocation of license to sell at farmers’ market) Text
ILLINOIS
LMP Services, Inc., et al. v. The City of Chicago, 160 N.E.3d 822 (Ill. 2019) (challenging anti food truck ordinance) Text
LMP Services Inc. v. The City of Chicago, 95 N.E.3d 1259 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017) (challenging anti food truck ordinance) Text
INDIANA
Daily v. Columbus Bd. of Zoning Appeals, 909 N.E.2d 1038 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) (denial of temporary use permit for a farmers’ market) Text
Daily v. Columbus Bd. of Zoning Appeals, 904 N.E.2d 343 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) (denial of temporary use permit for a farmers’ market) Text
Westfield Cos. v. Knapp, 804 N.E.2d 1270 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004) (personal injury on-farm) Text
Louisiana
French Market Vendors Ass’n, Inc. v. French Market Corp., 155 So.3d 514 (La. Ct. App. 2013) (farmer’s market vendor rules) Text
MAINE
State v. Brown, 95 A.3d 82 (Me. 2014) (violations of state licensing and labeling laws) Text
Harvey v. Veneman, No. CIV. 02-216-P-H, 2003 WL 22327171, at *15 (D. Me. Oct. 10, 2003) (Organic Farm Program Act inhibits local food production)
MARYLAND
Pizza di Joey, LLC v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, 209 A.3d 184 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 2019) (food truck ordinance) Text
Oyarzo v. Md. Dep’t of Health & Mental Hygiene, 978 A.2d 804 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 2009) (ban on selling raw milk; farmer precluded from selling shares in herd for raw milk) Text
MASSACHUSETTS
Cmty. Involved in Sustaining Agric., Inc. v. Bd. of Assessors of Deerfield, 86 Mass. App. Ct. 1119, 19 N.E.3d 866 (2014) (local food donation, taxation) Text
Teti v. Town of Sherborn, Nos. 09 MISC 414330(KFS), 2013 WL 6410547 (Mass. Land Ct. 2013) (farm stand zoning)
Town of Uxbridge ex rel. Girouard v. Vecchione, 21 Mass.L.Rptr. 307, (Mass. Super. Ct. 2006) (farm stand and zoning, loam removal)
DiGiovanni v. Gulberg, 2005 WL 1593608 (Mass. Land Ct. 2005) (farm stand and zoning)
Stephens v. Zoning Bd. Of Appeals of Groton, 781 N.E.2d 71 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003) (farm stand zoning)
MICHIGAN
Salmon v. City of Cadillac, 2005 WL 3416119 (Mich. Ct. App. 2005) (exclusion from farmers’ market)
Village of Rothbury v. Double JJ Resort Ranch, Inc., 2004 WL 1837835 (Mich. Ct. App. 2004) (zoning and Right to Farm Act)
MINNESOTA
Astramecki v. Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, No. A14-1367, 2015 WL 2341509 (Minn. Ct. App. 2015) (Minnesota food handlers licensing) Text
Minnesota v. Hartmann, 700 N.W.2d 449 (Minn. 2005) (inspection of custom-processed meat) Text
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Forster v. Town of Henniker, 167 N.H. 745, 118 A.3d 1016 (2015) (appeal of town zoning board of adjustment determination) Text
Carter v. Concord Gen. Mut. Ins. Co., 924 A.2d 411 (N.H. 2007) (personal injury and hayrides) Text
OHIO
Erie Ins. Exchange v. Bullock, 55 N.E.3d 460 (Ohio Ct. App, 2015) (property/fire insurance and local egg sales) Text
Stowers v. Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, No. 10CA009782, 2011 WL 2176512 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011) (unlicensed local food retailer) Text
A & Q Mkt., Inc. v. Liquor Control Comm., 2009-Ohio-5783 (revoking liquor permit holder’s liquor license) Text
Seouds Enterprises, Inc. v. Ohio Liquor Control Comm’n, 2003-Ohio-7233 (appeal from decision of the state Liquor Control Commission) Text
OREGON
Central Oregon Locavore v. Deschutes County Assessor, No. TC-MD 170319G, 2018 WL 6253813 (Or.Tax Magistrate Div. 2018) (non-profit local food store tax exemption) Text
Greenfield v. Multnomah County, 317 P.3d 274 (Or Ct. App. 2013) (Oregon’s farm stand statute) Text
PENNSYLVANIA
Schaal v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Review, 870 A.2d 952 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 2005) (agricultural labor and unemployment) Text
VERMONT
In re Fuad Ndibalema SNF Freshstart, LLC, No. 2016-049, 2016 WL 5921035 (Vt. 2016) (fair stand license suspension) Text
VIRGINIA
Hill v. Commonwealth, 624 S.E.2d 666 (Va. Ct. App. 2006) (searches and seizures; goat cheese manufacturing) Text
WISCONSIN
Young Minds Christian Preparatory Sch. v. Wisconsin Dep’t of Pub. Instruction, 2015 WI App 37, 363 Wis. 2d 655, 862 N.W.2d 902 (repay funds under National School Lunch Program) Text
Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ, Inc. v. State Dep’t of Pub. Instruction, 2015 WI App 13, 359 Wis. 2d 675, 859 N.W.2d 629 (reimbursements for its school meals program)
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund v. Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, 356 Wis.2d 829 (Wis. Ct. App. 2014) (right to consume unpasteurized milk) Text
Meyer v. Town of Milton, 268 Wis.2d 844 (Wis. Ct. App. 2003) (farm stand and zoning) Text