Urban Farming Bill in Georgia

Here's something to put near the top of your List of State Legislation to Watch! The Georgia House of Representatives is considering a statewide urban farm bill which would bar municipalities from making ordinances to prohibit urban farming and small animal husbandry. That includes chickens. How about that?

Read an Athens Banner-Herald article about it.

The bill, HB 842, is short and sweet, so it is worth reproducing the meat of it below. Notice the inclusion of goats!

Georgia HB 842:

(b) No county, municipality, consolidated government, or local government authority shall prohibit or require any permit for the growing or raising of food crops or chickens, rabbits, or milk goats in:

(1) Home gardens, coops, or pens on private residential property so long as such food crops or animals or the products thereof are used for human consumption by the occupant of such property and members of his or her household and not for commercial purposes; and

(2) Community or cooperative gardens, coops, or pens on any portion of any private lot made available for such purposes by the occupant thereof so long as the total lot size is not more than 2.75 acres and the food crops or animals or the products thereof are used for human consumption by the growers and raisers and members of their households and not for commercial purposes; provided, however, that the slaughter of goats kept pursuant to this Code section shall be prohibited.