To the editor:

Everyone loves the farms that help frame the landscape of Little Compton. we love to see the cattle and goats grazing in open fields. We love watching farmers grow their crops, milk their cows and raise their animals. We often stop at their roadside stands to purchase fresh vegetables, cheese and other products produced on their farms.

The RI Right to Farm Act helps farms preserve their primary purpose of “agricultural operations” and even encourage certain “non-agricultural” operations on their land, but definitely not at the expense of property owners who live nearby in residential zones.

Some people seem to think that the RI Right to Farm Act gives land owners who grow things for sale on their land the right to do whatever they want on their land. The act does give farms the right to undertake certain non-agricultural activities on a farm unless restricted, regulated, limited or prohibited by law, regulation, or ordinance in order to protect the home owner living in a residential zone.

Current law, in spite of the Right to Farm Act, allows local communities to regulate where commercial venues for restaurants, hotels, weddings, festivals, concerts and parking can be located. This was recently affirmed by a RI Superior Court judge with a ruling in favor of the Town of Exeter. This ruling demonstrates that the RI Right to Farm Act does not clear the way for commercial events such as the ones mentioned above. They can’t be held without compliance with local ordinances.

In order to preserve the charm, serenity and bucolic setting of Little Compton, it is imperative that everyone work together to maintain the character of this community. This requires enforcement of local zoning laws protecting residents and farms alike.

James G. Hagan

Little Compton