4/10 Rabbits, Bees, & Mushrooms on Less than 1 Acre - Your Voice is Needed!

Do you raise rabbits, keep bees, or cultivate mushrooms
on less than 1 acre?

Rural Vermont is working with representatives from NOFA-VT, the Vermont Farm Bureau, Agri-Mark, Cabot, the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance, the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts, the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance, Farm to Plate, and the Land Access and Opportunity Board in an attempt to restore the municipal exemption for farming this legislative session. As of the 2025 Vermont Supreme Court decision, municipalities can now regulate farms (outside of water quality) and decide where farming is allowed.

Two bills address this issue, H.941 and S.323. Our coalition is still working towards a compromise between the two versions of the bill that protects farmers, respects communities, safeguards water quality, and builds a stronger, more resilient food system for Vermont’s future. We support to: 

  • Restore the municipal exemption for farms larger than 1 acre statewide

  • Establish a “Right to Grow” for non-commercial producers, protecting the cultivation of plants, mushrooms, bees, rabbits and poultry—and the sale of products—from local zoning restrictions

  • Create a study committee to address conflicts involving livestock in densely populated areas

Our goal is to protect livestock farming from municipal bans statewide. However, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets has been advocating for changes to the Required Agricultural Practices rule, which would:

  • Allow local control over livestock farms smaller than 1 acre

  • Raise the minimum sales requirement for farms from $2,000 to $5,000

  • Remove Schedule F filing as a qualification for being considered a farm

These changes could limit access to programs for beginning farmers. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns also supports maintaining local zoning authority over farms, especially in densely populated areas.

Both groups argue that small livestock operations can create conflicts in dense communities, making this a key point of disagreement. As a result, all parties have agreed to defer a final decision on small-scale livestock and instead study the issue further.

TAKE ACTION!

With limited time left in this legislative session, it is critical that the legislature at least include beekeepers, rabbit growers, and mushroom cultivators in protections from municipal regulation, as these activities are not part of the conflicts driving this debate.

If you raise rabbits, keep bees, or cultivate mushrooms. Lawmakers need to hear from you now! Here’s how you can help ensure you will be protected, especially for farms under 1 acre:

  1. Testify in committee
    Personal stories are one of the most effective ways to influence lawmakers. Email caroline@ruralvermont.org (subject: “Testimony”). We will support you with everything you need to be prepared and to schedule testimony. 

  2. Contact your legislators
    Find your legislator here and use the sample message below to write to your Senators (first priority) and Representatives (second priority):

“Dear [Legislator],

I support restoring the municipal exemption for farming and to establish a right to grow food for non-commercial producers. I raise [rabbits/bees/mushrooms] and assure these practices can be done responsibly, even on parcels smaller than 1 acre, anywhere in Vermont.

[Briefly share where you are located, how long you’ve been doing this work, and why it matters to you.]

Please ensure that [rabbits/bees/mushrooms] are included in protections from restrictive municipal zoning and that there is a fair, statewide framework for producers.

Respectfully,
[Your Name]”

THANK YOU!

Rural Vermont