Kaniel Klunchinski and David Kimmel

1. Funding for this work was provided in part by:Funding for this work was provided in part by:
0 10 20 30 40
Top 3 Third-
Ranked Issues
Top 3 Second-
Ranked Issues
Top 3 First-
Ranked Issues
% of respondents identifying the issue
PesticidesPesticides (applications, residues, drift, safety/dangers)(applications, residues, drift, safety/dangers) 37%37%
NoiseNoise (trucks, pumps, equipment)(trucks, pumps, equipment)
Growers RightsGrowers Rights (ordinances, migrant workers, labor housing, construction)(ordinances, migrant workers, labor housing, construction) (tie)(tie) 17%17%
Manure related issuesManure related issues (odors, flies, storage, spreading, handling)(odors, flies, storage, spreading, handling) 13%13%
PesticidesPesticides
ManureManure (tie)(tie) 19%19%
NoiseNoise
Water UseWater Use
Animal issuesAnimal issues (hunting, animal rights, production practices)(hunting, animal rights, production practices) (tie)(tie) 15%15%
PollutionPollution (dust, dumping, greenhouse emissions, farm cleanliness, runoff,(dust, dumping, greenhouse emissions, farm cleanliness, runoff, lighting)lighting) 11%11%
PollutionPollution 26%26%
ManureManure
Animal issuesAnimal issues (tie)(tie) 17%17%
Water UseWater Use 13%13%
Figure 1. Most common farmer/nonFigure 1. Most common farmer/non--famer conflictsfamer conflicts
identified by Cooperative Extension in New Jersey, 2007.identified by Cooperative Extension in New Jersey, 2007.
RightRight--ToTo--Farm Issues onFarm Issues on
New JerseyNew Jersey’’s Suburban Fringes Suburban Fringe
Daniel KluchinskiDaniel Kluchinski11
and David Kimmeland David Kimmel22
11County Agent I, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Brunswick, NJCounty Agent I, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Brunswick, NJ 0890108901
22Agricultural Resource Specialist, State Agricultural DevelopmentAgricultural Resource Specialist, State Agricultural Development Committee, Trenton, NJ 08625Committee, Trenton, NJ 08625
AbstractAbstract
Farmers and non-farmers are being
brought closer together as residential
development and suburban growth
increases. In order to determine areas of
conflict and develop educational outreach
efforts to prevent or reduce these
conflicts, a survey of Rutgers Cooperative
Extension faculty and staff who work with
commercial agricultural interests was
conducted. Respondents were asked to
identify and rank the most common
complaints or inquiries related to right-to-
farm issues and farmer/non-farmer
conflicts. The top three first-ranked
issues were pesticides (applications,
residues, drift, safety/dangers); noise
(trucks, pumps, equipment) and growers
rights (ordinances, migrant workers, labor
housing, construction, etc.) (tie); and
manure related issues (odors, flies,
storage, spreading, handling). The top
three second-ranked issues were
pesticides and manure (tie); noise, water
use, and animal issues (hunting, animal
rights, livestock production practices)
(tie); and pollution (dust, dumping,
greenhouse emissions, farm cleanliness,
runoff, lighting, etc.). The top three third-
ranked issues were pollution; manures
and animal issues (tie); and water use.
ObjectivesObjectives
● Determine the most common right-to-
farm conflicts addressed by Rutgers
Cooperative Extension personnel.
Materials and MethodsMaterials and Methods
● A web-based survey was administered
via Zoomerang® on July 3, 2007.
● E-mail reminders were sent to non-
respondents 1 and 3 weeks (July 11,
2007 and July 26, 2007) after launch.
● Response rate was 88% (n=29).
● Data was analyzed to determine the
most common sources of conflict.
Results and DiscussionResults and Discussion
● The top three first, second, and third-
ranked right-to-farm conflicts and
issues identified are shown in Figure 1.
They included pesticides, manure,
noise, water use, animal production,
pollution and farmer rights issues.
ConclusionsConclusions
● Education of farmers to use best
management practices, and adopt
conflict prevention and resolution
strategies is necessary. Non-farmers
must also be educated, most effectively
by their farmer neighbors.
● As a follow up to this study:
A survey of 54 farmers determined
strategies they have employed to
prevent or reduce conflicts with
neighbors and municipalities.
These strategies were
incorporated into a 29-page
brochure “Farmer-to-Farmer
Advice for Avoiding Conflict With
Neighbors and Towns”; 4,400
copies were distributed in 2008.
A series of 6 educational
workshops were held to discuss
these issues and share advice via
farmer speaker panels.
Evaluations of what participants
learned and strategies they plan to
adopt were conducted.
A follow-up survey of these
participants in early 2009 will
determine the risk management
practices adopted by farmers, and
the impact on their relationships
with non-farm neighbors and
municipalities.