An act relating to events at accessory on-farm businesses
H.94 would expand Vermont’s definition of an “accessory on-farm business” to explicitly include certain social and recreational events held on farms, including weddings and concerts, when those events feature agricultural practices or qualifying farm products. The bill also recognizes farm stays as a type of accessory on-farm business activity, defining them as paid overnight accommodations on a farm tied to educational, recreational, or social participation in farm-related activities. In addition to the land-use definition change, the bill would adjust Act 250 permitting rules for certain farm-business improvements.
Under the bill, no Act 250 permit or permit amendment would be required for construction related to storage, sale, preparation, or processing of qualifying products in an accessory on-farm business, subject to existing conditions. For event- and farm-stay-related improvements, the bill would exempt those improvements from Act 250 permitting if the farm is located in a municipality that has adopted performance standards and site plan review. The bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.
The bill would amend 24 V.S.A. § 4412(11) and 10 V.S.A. § 6081(t), affecting municipal zoning and state land-use permitting for farms that host accessory businesses. It would broaden the range of farm-based activities protected from local prohibition and reduce Act 250 review for certain on-farm business improvements, especially for farms hosting weddings, concerts, and farm stays in municipalities with local review standards. The practical effect would be to make it easier for farms to diversify revenue through agritourism and event-based uses while limiting state permitting burdens in specified circumstances.
Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears generally supportive of agricultural diversification and agritourism. The introduced language is framed as a facilitation measure for farms, suggesting a favorable posture toward helping farms generate additional income through events and related activities. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the available materials.
The main policy tension is between expanding farm-based economic opportunities and preserving land-use oversight. Supporters would likely favor the bill for helping farms host weddings, concerts, and farm stays without unnecessary permitting barriers, while potential critics may be concerned about increased non-farm event activity, traffic, neighborhood impacts, and the reduced role of Act 250 review. The bill tries to address those concerns by limiting the permit exemption for event-related improvements to municipalities that already have performance standards and site plan review, but the balance between local control and statewide exemption is the likely point of contention.