New York’s Agricultural Districts Law, Article 25-AA PDF of the NYS Agriculture and Markets Law, was enacted in 1971 to help keep farmland in agricultural production.

Agricultural Districts are designed to protect agriculture through a combination of landowner incentives and protections that discourage the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses, including:

• providing the framework to limit unreasonable local regulation on accepted agricultural practices
• providing Right to Farm provisions that protect accepted agricultural practices from private nuisance suits
• modifying state agency administrative regulations and procedures to encourage the continuation of agricultural businesses
• modifying the ability to advance public funds to construct facilities that encourage development
• preventing benefit assessments, special ad valorem levies, or other rates and fees on farmland for the finance of improvements such as water, sewer or nonfarm drainage
• modifying the ability of public agencies to acquire farmland through eminent domain

Agricultural Districts primarily benefit owners of land that is farmed. Being part of an Agricultural District does not:

• directly affect the use of land beyond existing requirements, for example, zoning
• directly reduce or increase tax assessments—agricultural landowners can apply to the local tax assessor for an annual agricultural assessment

Eight-Year Reviews

Agricultural Districts are reviewed by the County and recertified by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets every eight years (schedule and District map below). During the review landowners can decide if they want their property to remain in the District, or be removed or added. Owners of property within the Agricultural District will receive a mailed written notice of review. Public notices and announcements are also published.  Click here to go to the Eight-Year Review page.

Annual Additions

Landowners can request to have their property added to an Agricultural District during the County's Annual Additions open enrollment. Property can only be removed from an Agricultural District during the eight-year review and certification process described above.  Click here to go to the Annual Additions page.