NC Farm Act of 2013 - Bill Summary

• Establishes rebuttable presumption protecting certified commodity producers from negligence liability in food safety cases involving raw agricultural commodities, overcome only by clear and convincing evidence.

• Creates new farm animal activity liability protections for farm animal activity sponsors and professionals, covering activities with cattle, sheep, swine, goats, llamas, alpacas, poultry and other farm animals similar to existing equine activity protections.

• Allows Commissioner of Agriculture to assess nonmonetary penalties (education, training, sanctions) instead of monetary penalties when addressing regulatory violations.

• Changes agricultural water use survey from annual to biennial collection and decreases burn time restrictions for ground clearing activities (500 feet setback instead of 1,000 feet; 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. burn window).

• Exempts forestry and silviculture operations from temporary driveway permitting; permits farm buildings used for events (weddings, receptions) to maintain farm building status; and expands agricultural dam exemption under dam safety regulations.