{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-300.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-300.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-300.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-300.html"}],"law_id":62811,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62811,"structure_id":15936,"section_number":"3.2-300","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1981, c. 384, \u00a7\u00a7 3.1-22.28, 3.1-22.29; 1991, c. 293; 1994, c. 779; 2007, c. 444; 2008, c. 860; 2022, c. 487.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agricultural operation” means any operation devoted to the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl, including the production of fruits and vegetables of all kinds, meat, dairy, and poultry products, nuts, tobacco, nursery, and floral products and the production and harvest of products from silviculture activity. “Agricultural operation” also includes any operation devoted to the housing of livestock as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500.\n\t\t“Production agriculture and silviculture” means the bona fide production or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but does not include the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above ground application or storage of sewage sludge.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228968,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agricultural operation” means any operation devoted to the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl, including the production of fruits and vegetables of all kinds, meat, dairy, and poultry products, nuts, tobacco, nursery, and floral products and the production and harvest of products from silviculture activity. “Agricultural operation” also includes any operation devoted to the housing of livestock as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500.\n\t\t“Production agriculture and silviculture” means the bona fide production or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but does not include the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above ground application or storage of sewage sludge.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15936,"edition_id":1,"name":"Right to Farm","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13126,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:02:18","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:02:18","permalink":{"id":194087,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15936,"identifier":"3","token":"3.2\/I\/3","url":"\/3.2\/I\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13126,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions; Protection and Promotion of Agriculture","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12793,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":193941,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13126,"identifier":"I","token":"3.2\/I","url":"\/3.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12793,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food","identifier":"3.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":193939,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12793,"identifier":"3.2","token":"3.2","url":"\/3.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":62811,"structure_id":15936,"section_number":"3.2-300","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/3.2-300\/","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-300","metadata":false},{"id":68035,"structure_id":15936,"section_number":"3.2-301","catch_line":"Right to farm; restrictive ordinances","url":"\/3.2-301\/","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-301","metadata":false},{"id":61959,"structure_id":15936,"section_number":"3.2-302","catch_line":"When agricultural operations do not constitute nuisance","url":"\/3.2-302\/","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-302","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":68035,"structure_id":15936,"section_number":"3.2-301","catch_line":"Right to farm; restrictive ordinances","url":"\/3.2-301\/","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-301","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-300\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1981. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 384 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1981 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1991, chapter 293; in 1994, chapter 779<\/a>; in 2007, chapter 444<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 487<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":83474,"section_number":"10.1-1408.1","catch_line":"Permit required; open dumps prohibited","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1408.1\/"},{"id":75049,"section_number":"15.2-2288.6","catch_line":"Agricultural operations; local regulation of certain activities","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2288.6\/"},{"id":82850,"section_number":"15.2-3209","catch_line":"Hearing and decision","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-3209\/"},{"id":81761,"section_number":"3.2-6593.2","catch_line":"Animal testing facilities; public notification","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6593.2\/"},{"id":54228,"section_number":"32.1-176.5:2","catch_line":"Prohibition on private well construction","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-176.5_2\/"},{"id":65275,"section_number":"36-9.1","catch_line":"Exemptions from applicability of this chapter; conflicts in provisions of law","order_by":null,"url":"\/36-9.1\/"},{"id":71514,"section_number":"56-256.1","catch_line":"Height of electric power distribution lines over agricultural land","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-256.1\/"},{"id":59346,"section_number":"56-257.5","catch_line":"Manner of installing underground utility lines through agricultural operation","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-257.5\/"},{"id":81249,"section_number":"58.1-2250","catch_line":"Exemptions from tax","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-2250\/"},{"id":76719,"section_number":"58.1-512","catch_line":"Land preservation tax credits for individuals and corporations","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-512\/"},{"id":61187,"section_number":"62.1-44.3","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/62.1-44.3\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":86401,"section_number":"3.2-6500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/3.2-6500\/"}],"permalink":{"id":194089,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62811,"identifier":"3.2-300","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-300","url":"\/3.2-300\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-300\/","token":"3.2\/I\/3\/3.2-300","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-300","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agricultural operation<\/span>” means any operation devoted to the bona fide production of crops, animals, or fowl, including the production of fruits and vegetables of all kinds, meat, dairy, and poultry products, nuts, tobacco, nursery, and floral products and the production and harvest of products from silviculture activity. “Agricultural operation<\/span>” also includes any operation devoted to the housing of livestock as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500<\/a>.\n\t\t“Production agriculture and silviculture<\/span>” means the bona fide production or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but does not include the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above ground application or storage of sewage sludge.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 3.2-300)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Agricultural operation” means any operation devoted to the bona\nfide production of crops, animals, or fowl, including the production of fruits\nand vegetables of all kinds, meat, dairy, and poultry products, nuts, tobacco,\nnursery, and floral products and the production and harvest of products from\nsilviculture activity. “Agricultural operation” also includes any\noperation devoted to the housing of livestock as defined in \u00a7 3.2-6500.\n\t\t“Production agriculture and silviculture” means the bona fide\nproduction or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but does not\ninclude the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above\nground application or storage of sewage sludge.\n\nHISTORY: 1981, c. 384, \u00a7\u00a7 3.1-22.28, 3.1-22.29; 1991, c. 293; 1994, c. 779;\n2007, c. 444; 2008, c. 860; 2022, c. 487.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}