One of the most important benefits of the Agricultural Districts Program is the opportunity provided farmland owners to receive real property assessments based on the value of their land for agricultural production rather than on its development value.
New York State law allows for the creation of districts within which unreasonable local regulation of farm practices and the construction of facilities that would encourage development are limited.
The Cayuga County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Plan was adopted by the County Legislature on August 26, 2014. The plan was approved by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets on November 7, 2014.
A Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) is a voluntary legal agreement, or conservation easement, that restricts all future non-farm development while encouraging farming, forestry, and other land uses that are compatible with agriculture