Farmers and landowners in Livingston County will soon get a chance to join one of the area’s certified agricultural districts.
Starting September 1, the county will accept petitions for a 30-day window to add viable farmland into existing ag districts. It’s part of an annual process created under a 2004 change to state law.
Before that change, landowners had to wait up to eight years to apply during formal district reviews. Now, counties like Livingston must hold a 30-day inclusion period every year.
To qualify, land must be suitable for commercial farming. Landowners need to submit an application packet and a description of the farm activity on the land by September 30. The packets are available online or at the county Planning Department in Geneseo.
What happens after you apply
Once the application period closes, the county’s Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board has 30 days to review each request. That board will decide if the land is viable and whether including it helps support agriculture in the county.
From there, the county Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and vote before sending final decisions to the state for approval.
This process only applies to adding land. Landowners can’t request to remove property from ag districts until the full eight-year review cycle comes around again.
For questions, call the Planning Department at 585-243-7550 or visit their website.
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