The owners of a small rural farm located within Williamston Township, Michigan were found in contempt of court by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina this week, because they did not remove livestock from their property. Jeremiah and Jessica Hudson, owners of Sweet Peas Farms, were found to be in contempt of a Feb. 26 injunction which banned livestock on their residence. Their backyard farm struggle began before the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development ruled that the Right to Farm Act protections no longer apply to many homeowners who keep small numbers of livestock.
Last year, Williamston Township sued the Hudsons for violating a township ordinance because Sweet Peas Farm, a small commercial farm, was located in an area zoned for residential use. According to The Lansing State Journal, Sweet Peas Farm is located at at 3920 Williamston Road and is a “small urban farm.” Williamston Township is considered 65 percent rural and 35 percent urban. A Google Street View of the address is available. The farm backs up to a school and sits across the street from vast acreage:
Read more: http://www.offgridquest.com/news/683-michigan-small-farm-found-in-contempt
