Rutherford County, TN Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

A defines the AR district as land "designed to provide permissible areas for the growing of crops, animal husbandry, dairying, forestry and other similar activities," applicable wherever a property is at least five acres under the comprehensive plan. Appendix B's Land Use Activity Table backs that up: Crop & Animal Raising is marked "P" (Permitted) in the AR, RL, and RM districts alike, meaning a farm operation does not need a special exception or variance to raise livestock or crops on qualifying residential land. f goes further and applies countywide, not just in AR: "private barns, stables, sheds, and other farm buildings that are used exclusively in the agricultural activity" are a permitted accessory use in every district.

Section 404 then exempts those same structures from the dimensional rules in Table 1: "All barns, sheds, silos, or other buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes shall be exempt from these regulations," meaning they are not held to the AR district's 217,800-square-foot minimum lot area, 200-foot residential lot width, or the 50-foot front, 20-foot rear, and 10-foot side setbacks that apply to houses. The ordinance is adopted under Title 13 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, and special exceptions and variances affecting agricultural operations are administered consistent with TCA Section 13-7-109.