Agricultural Districts

District Overview

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 New York State Agricultural Districts law also provides for reduced property taxes for farmers by allowing assessment of farmland based on its agricultural production value rather than its development value. Cayuga County consolidated all of its previous 6 Agricultural Districts into 1 countywide district in 2013 which is officially called "Cayuga County Agricultural District No. 5" because district 5 was the district currently scheduled for review and re certification when the county deiced to consolidate the districts.

8-Year Agricultural District Review

Agricultural districts adopted by the county and certified by the state are periodically reviewed and re-certified in a process coordinated by the staff of the County Department of Planning and Economic Development. Cayuga County is required to review the Cayuga County Agricultural District once every 8 years in accordance with New York State Agriculture & Markets Law. The Agricultural District was last certified by the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets on December 18, 2019. The County is required to complete the next review of the Agricultural District on or before March 27, 2028.

Important Documents

Below are links to important documents related to the County’s 8-Year Review of Cayuga County Agricultural District No. 5. (Linked Documents will be made active again prior to next required review in 2028)

  • Public Notice of 30-Day Public Review Period (PDF)
  • Agricultural District Review Sheet (PDF) this form is for farmland owners
  • Agricultural District Property Removal Form (PDF) this form is for landowners to take property out of the district
  • Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

Current Map of Cayuga County Agricultural District No. 5

Open and view a map of the current boundaries of Cayuga County Agricultural District No. 5 with the link to a PDF document below. The district can also be viewed on a parcel by parcel basis by using the County’s Office of Real Property Services (RPS) GIS Parcel Viewer interactive map and turning the layer for the agricultural district on. When turned on, this layer will color every parcel in the county that is in the county’s agricultural district green. Use this link to the RPS webpage to use the GIS Parcel Viewer.

Cayuga County Agricultural District Map (PDF)

Request to Add Agricultural Land into a Certified Agricultural District

Agricultural Districts are intended to encourage the continued use of farmland for agricultural production. Enrollment of viable agricultural lands into a certified Agricultural District provides protection of accepted agricultural practices through New York State Agricultural Districts Law. Viable agricultural land is land highly suitable for or currently used for agricultural production. 

Annual Request to Add Property to the Agricultural District

Property owners can request that their property be added to an Agricultural District in Cayuga County once a year between March 1st and March 30th by completing the Request to Add Agricultural Land into a Certified Agricultural District form. All forms must be received by March 30th!   View the 2023 Annual Inclusion Form (PDF)

New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets

For more information on the Agricultural Districts Program from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, please visit their page.