Texas Right-to-Farm Law Protects Existing Agricultural Operations

Texas passed the Right to Farm Act in 1981. It protects farms and ranches from nuisance lawsuits.

Here is how it works. If a farm or feedlot has been running in roughly the same way for at least a year before you move in next door, you generally cannot win a lawsuit over smells, flies, dust, or noise from that operation.

This matters a lot in Erath County. The county has many dairy farms, beef cattle operations, and crop farms. If you buy land or a home near an existing farm, the law is on the farmer's side.

The protection does not apply if the operation breaks state or federal law.

For details on exactly where the law draws the line, see the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension overview linked in the sources.