Case Law Index
Agritourism

January 1, 2002 - April 1,2010

This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving the Agritourism that were decided on or after January 1, 2002. For those cases that have been summarized by the National Agricultural Law Center, a link is provided to the summary. The index will be regularly updated to reflect new judicial developments. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order.

FIRST CIRCUIT

Family Winemakers of Ca. v. Jenkins, 592 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2010) (wine statute violated the Commerce Clause)

SECOND CIRCUIT

Arnold's Wines, Inc. v. Boyle, 571 F.3d 185 (2d Cir. 2009) (N.Y.'s alcohol scheme was permissible under the 21st Amendment)

THIRD CIRCUIT

Estate of Creek v. Mittal Steel USA, Inc., No. 06-701, 2008 WL 1752236 (W.D. Pa. April 14, 2008) (recreational use statute)

Vorhes v. Mittal Steel USA, Inc., No. 06-1130, 2008 WL 794460 (W.D. Pa. Mar. 24, 2008) (recreational use statute)

FOURTH CIRCUIT

Western World Ins. Co. v. Wilkie, No. 5:06-CV-64-H (3), 2007 WL 3256947(E.D.N.C. Nov. 02, 2007) (insurance coverage)

U.S. Dept. of Labor v. North Carolina Growers Ass'n. 377 F.3d 345 (4th Cir. 2004) (Christmas tree farms and labor)

FIFTH CIRCUIT

Siesta Vill. Mkt. LLC v. Steen, 595 F.3d 249 (5th Cir. 2010) (state limitation on out-of-state alcohol sales did not violate Commerce Clause)

M.J. Farms, Ltd. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., 593 F. Supp. 2d 907 (W.D. La. 2008) (baiting leased hunting areas)

Davis Mountains Trans-Pecos Heritage Ass'n. v. Federal Aviation Admin., 116 Fed.Appx. 3 (5th Cir. 2004) (eco-tourism, hunting leases, and takings)

SIXTH CIRCUIT

Cherry Hill Vineyards v. Lilly, 553 F.3d 423 (6th Cir. 2008) (state statute regulating small wineries violated Commerce Clause)

Lawson v. Dutch Heritage Farms, Inc., 502 F.Supp.2d 698 (N.D. Ohio 2007) (negligence)

Chao v. Double JJ Resort Ranch, 375 F.3d 393 (6th Cir. 2004) (dude ranches and regulations)

SEVENTH CIRCUIT

Chapman v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, No. 1:06-cv-0848-JDT-TAB, 2007 WL 3334862(S.D. Ind. Nov. 08, 2007) (recreational use statute)

Schneider v. County of Will, State of Illinois, 190 F.Supp.2d 1082 (N.D.Ill. 2002) (Bed & Breakfast and zoning)

EIGHTH CIRCUIT

Greika v. U.S., No. 07-3013, 2008 WL 2388897 (8th Cir. June 13, 2008) (recreational use statute)

NINTH CIRCUIT

Ellwood v. United States, No. 07-6225-TC, 2009 WL 3125480 (D. Or. Sept. 25, 2009) (recreational use statute)

U.S. v. Park, 536 F.3d 1058 (9th Cir. 2008) (violation of scenic easement)

Cleveland v. U.S., 546 F.Supp.2d 732 (N.D. Cal. 2008) (recreational use statute)

Spoklie v. Montana, 411 F.3d 1051 (9th Cir. 2005) (challenge to state ballot initiative that eliminated fee shooting of alternative livestock)

King v. CJM Country Stables, 315 F.Supp.2d 1061 (D. Haw. 2004) (Recreational Use statute)

TENTH CIRCUIT

Carden v. Kelly, 175 F.Supp.2d 1318 (D. Wyo. 2001) (dude ranches and personal injury)

TAX COURT

Baldwin v. C.I.R. 2002 WL 1377741 (T.C. 2002) (taxation for summer camp)

ALABAMA

Alabama Dep't of Revenue v. Nat'l Peanut Festival Ass'n, 11 So.3d 821 (Ala. Civ. App. 2008) (tax exemption for agricultural fair)

Lilya v. Greater Gulf State Fair, Inc., 855 So.2d 1049 (Ala. 2003) (liability of fair operator - duty to warn)

ARKANSAS

Delancy v. Arkansas, 151 S.W.3d 301 (Ark. 2004) (injunction requiring rancher to slaughter elk herd)

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Levinson v. Owens, 98 Cal. Rptr.3d 779 (Cal. Ct. App. 2009) (no breach of duty in horse riding accident at ranch)

Vail Lake Rancho Cal., LLC v. Sundance Intern., LP, 2006 WL 1633858 (Cal. Ct. App. June 14, 2006) (recreational use easement)

Miller v. Weitzen, 133 Cal.App.4th 732 (Cal. Ct. App. 2005) (recreational use statute)

Bronco Wine Co. v. Jolly, 95 P.3d 422 (Cal. 2004) (liability for cider producers)

COLORADO

Clyncke v. Waneka, 157 P.3d 1072 (Colo. 2007) (limiting liability by statute for equine related injuries)

CONNECTICUT

Alexson v. White Mem'l Found., Inc., No. CV075002299, 2008 WL 803423 (Conn. Super. Ct. Mar. 05, 2008) (recreational use statute)

Gresczyk v. Landis, 2006 WL 1644545 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2006) (golf courses and Agritourism)

Zanette v. Planning & Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 2006 WL 3316770 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2006) (farm stands and zoning)

Abrams v. Jones, 2005 WL 1331232 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2005) (liability for apple cider)

Messina v. Fifty Acres, LLC, 2004 WL 945058 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2004) (farm stands and zoning)

GEORGIA

Georgia Power Co. v. Jones, 626 S.E.2d 554 (Ga. Ct. App. 2006) (Bed & Breakfast and condemnation)

HAWAI'I

Pono v. Molokai Ranch, Ltd., 194 P.3d 1126 (Haw. Ct. App. 2008) (ranch's campgrounds in violation of county zoning ordinance)

Courbat v. Dahana Ranch, Inc., 141 P.3d 427 (Haw. 2006) (waiver)

Geiger v. Hawai'i County Planning Com'n, 125 P.3d 1060 (Table) (Haw. 2005) (zoning for agritourism)

In re Waiola O Molokai, Inc., 83 P.3d 664 (Haw. 2004) (water rights for a "working ranch")

IDAHO

Rammell v. Idaho Dep't of Agric., 210 P.3d 523 (Idaho 2009) (validity of regulations imposing fees on domestic cervidae)

ILLINOIS

Smith v. Lane, 832 N.E.2d 947 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005) (limiting liability by statute for equine related injuries)

Kush v. Wentworth, 790 N.E.2d 912 (Ill. App. Ct. 2003) (The Animal Control Act and personal injury)

INDIANA

Westfield Companies v. Knapp, 804 N.E.2d 1270 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004) (farm stands and insurance)

IOWA

Meduna v. City of Crescent, No. 07-1919, 2008 WL 5234316 (Iowa Ct. App. Dec. 17, 2008) (bed and breakfast did not violate city zoning ordinance)

KENTUCKY

Moore v. Stills, 307 S.W.3d 71 (Ky. 2010) (recreational use statute barred adverse possession claim)

Kentucky v. Looper, 294 S.W.3d 39 (Ky. Ct. App. 2009) (violation of state law preventing importation of Cervidae animal family)

Greater Harrodsburg/Mercer County Planning & Zoning Com'n v. Romero, 250 S.W.3d 355 (Ky. Ct. App. 2008) (Zoning - Bed & Breakfast)

Mason v. Berea Independent School Dist. Finance Corp., No. 2006-CA-002061-MR, 2007 WL 2998510 (Ky. Ct. App. Oct.12, 2007) (recreational use statute - protection of adjacent land owner)

Baker v. McIntosh, 132 S.W.3d 230, (2004) (animal liability)

Keogh v. Woodford County Bd. of Adjustments, 243 S.W.3d 369 (Ky. Ct. App. 2007) (zoning for bed and breakfast)

LOUISIANA

Everett v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., --- So.3d ---, 2010 WL 1170202 (La. Ct. App. 2010) (damages from horseback riding accident)

Luther v. Turner, 901 So.2d 1217 (La. Ct. App. 2005) (hunting lease)

LeBlanc v. Hayes, 827 So.2d 611 (La. Ct. App. 2002) (Recreational Use statutes)

Cooper v. Cooper, 786 So.2d 240 (La. Ct. App. 2001) (Recreational Use statutes)

MASSACHUSETTS

Town of Uxbridge ex rel. Girouard v. Vecchione, 21 Mass.L.Rptr. 307, (Mass. Super. Ct. 2006) (farm stands and zoning)

DiGiovanni v. Gulberg, 2005 WL 1593608 (Mass. Land Ct. 2005) (farm stands and zoning)

Volandre v. Opdyke, 2005 WL 2095727 (Mass. Land Ct. 2005) (riding school and zoning)

Bateman v. Board of Appeals of Georgetown, 775 N.E.2d 1276 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002) (riding academy and zoning)

MICHIGAN

Village of Rothbury v. Double JJ Resort Ranch, Inc., 2004 WL 1837835 (Mich. Ct. App. 2004) (zoning)

MINNESOTA

Hanson v. N. J&B Enters., Inc., No. A08-0413, 2009 WL 234104 (Minn. Ct. App. Feb. 3, 2009) (waiver of liability with horse rental)

Lentz v. Zerebko, No. WC08-187, 2008 WL 5423934 (Minn. Workers' Comp. Ct. App. Dec. 9, 2008) (death of petting zoo worker)

Razink v. Krutzig, 746 N.W.2d 644 (Minn. Ct. App. 2008) (recreational use statute)

MISSOURI

Foster v. St. Louis County, 239 S.W.3d 599 (Mo. 2007) (recreational use statute)

State ex rel. Young v. Wood, 254 S.W.3d 871 (Mo. June 10, 2008) (recreational use statute - hunting)

MONTANA

Buhmann v. Montana, 201 P.3d 70 (Mont. 2008) (takings claim; prohibition on fee shooting at alternative livestock game farms)

Kafka v. Mont. Dep't of Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, 201 P.3d 8 (Mont. 2008) (takings claim; prohibition on game farms for fees to shoot alternative animals)

McDermott v. Carie, LLC, 124 P.3d 168 (Mont. 2005) (dude ranch and personal injury)

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Carter v. Concord General Mut. Ins. Co., 924 A.2d 411 (N.H. 2007) (hayrides and personal injury)

NEW JERSEY

Lackland and Lackland v. Readington Tp., 2005 WL 3074714 (N.J. Super. Ct. Law Div. 2005) (agriculture zoning)

NEW YORK

Morales v. Coram Materials Corp., 853 N.Y.S.2d 611 (N.Y. App. Div. 2 2008) (recreational use statute)

Finnocchiaro v. Napolitano, 52 A.D.3d 463 (N.Y. App. Div. 2 June 03, 2008) (recreational use statute)

Jones v. Lei-Ti Too, LLC, 846 N.Y.S.2d 826 (N.Y. App. Div. 4 2007) (recreational use statute)

Twomey v. Rosenthal. 52 A.D.3d 693 (N.Y. App. Div. 2 June 17, 2008) (recreational use)

OHIO

Terry v. Sperry, No. 08-MA-227, 2010 WL 1178065 (Ohio Ct. App. Mar. 23, 2010) (winery not exempt from zoning regulations)

Brennan v. Schappacher, No. CA2008-09-231, 2009 WL 501639, 2009 -Ohio- 927 (Ohio Ct. App. Mar. 2, 2009) (injuries sustained during hayride; assumption of risk; negligent assumption of risk)

Merino v. Salem Hunting Club, No. 07 CO 16, 2008 WL 5124549 (Ohio Ct. App. Dec. 4, 2008) (damages from hunting club)

Konesky v. Wood Cty. Agricultural Soc., 844 N.E.2d 408 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005) (assumption of risk)

Kayatin v. Petro, 2007 WL 209988 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007) (nature trails)

Burya v. Lake Metroparks Bd. of Park Comm'rs, 2006 WL 2798294 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006) (hayrides and personal injury)

McGuire v. Jewett, 2005-Ohio-4214, 2005 WL 1940368 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005) (horse-drawn buggy rides and personal injury)

OREGON

Coleman v. Or. Parks & Recreation Dep't ex rel. Oregon, 217 P.3d 651 (Or. 2009) (recreational use statute)

Utsey v. Coos County, 32 P.3d 933 (Or. Ct. App. 2001) (Recreational Use statutes and zoning)

PENNSYLVANIA

Schaal v. Unemployment Compensation Bd. of Review, 870 A.2d 952 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2005) (agricultural labor and unemployment)

Middletown Tp. v. Lands of Stone, 882 A.2d 1066 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2005) (Open Spaces Land Act and eminent domain)

Header v. Schuylkill County Zoning Hearing Bd., 841 A.2d 641 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2004) (agricultural zoning and water)

Huff v. Exeter Tp., 2004 WL 3199568 (Pa. Ct. Com. Pl. 2004) (recreational zoning)

Wing Pointe Corp. v. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Bd., 2002 WL 31899890 (Pa. Ct. Com. Pl. 2002) (liquor licenses and resorts)

SOUTH CAROLINA

AJG Holdings, LLC v. Dunn, 674 S.E.2d 505 (S.C. Ct. App. 2009) (restrictive covenants that did not allow running of bed and breakfast)

TENNESSEE

Smith v. Phillips, No. M2009-00104-COA-R3-CV, 2010 WL 1221436 (Tenn. Ct. App. Mar. 29, 2010) (horse owner not entitled to immunity under equine activities law)

Hannan v. Alltel Publ'g Co., 270 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. 2008) (failure to print telephone ad for bed and breakfast)

Mathews v. State, 2005 WL 3479318 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005) (limited liability and recreational use statutes)

Friedli v. Kerr, 2001 WL 177184 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001) (limiting liability by statute for equine related injuries)

TEXAS

Lee v. Loftin, 277 S.W.3d 519 (Tex. App. 2009) (equine activities statute)

Kirwan v. City of Waco, 249 S.W.3d 544 (Tex. App. 2008) (recreational use statute)

Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority v. Pitonyak, 84 S.W.3d 326 (Tex. App. 2002) (Recreational Use statutes and navigable waters)

VERMONT

Follo v. Florindo, 970 A.2d 1230 (Vt. 2009) (fraud and violations of consumer fraud act related to sale of bed and breakfast)

WISCONSIN

Meyer v. Town of Milton, 268 Wis.2d 844 (Wis. Ct. App. 2003) (Agritourism and zoning)

WYOMING

Lozier v. Blattland Investments, LLC, 100 P.3d 380 (Wyo. 2004) (sale of land while retaining fishing rights)

Rehnberg v. Hirshberg, 64 P.3d 115 (Wyo. 2003) (sale of land while retaining fishing rights)

Markstein v. Countryside I, L.L.C, 77 P.3d 389 (Wyo. 2003) (sale of land while retaining fishing rights)