Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)

Chapter 113 of the Code of the Township of Monroe, Middlesex County, was adopted by the Township Council on 2-3-92 by Ord. No. 0-2-92-001. It is four sections long and works as a statement of protection for farmers rather than a permit scheme.

Section 113-1 recognizes the right to farm all land subject to the laws of the State of New Jersey as a natural right, serving the best interest of all citizens of Monroe Township because of the social, economic and environmental benefits of what it calls one of the largest industries in the Garden State.

Section 113-2 spells out what the right covers: large irrigation pumps and equipment, aerial and ground seeding and spraying, large tractors, numerous farm laborers, and chemical fertilizers and products used to control insects, pests, weeds, fungus and other substances injurious to farming. It reaches the production of livestock, vegetables, grains, hay, fruits, fibers, potatoes, wood, trees, plants, shrubs, flowers and seeds, and it also includes the right to use land for raising, breeding and grazing of animals.

Section 113-3 is the nuisance shield. The listed uses and activities are protected when they are reasonable and necessary for the particular farming, livestock or fowl production, and when conducted in accordance with accepted agricultural practices as determined and promulgated by the Rutgers University School of Agriculture. Qualifying activity can occur on holidays, Sundays and weekdays, at night and in the day, and the noise, odors, dust and fumes it causes are specifically permitted as part of the right.

Section 113-4 records the Township's finding that the temporary inconveniences caused to others are more than offset by the benefits of farming to the neighborhood, community and society, including preservation of open space, the beauty of the countryside and clean air, and the continuance of farming operations in Monroe Township and in New Jersey.