In conventional zoning, a municipality is divided into districts, each with specific allowed uses, densities, and land coverage limitations. Residential, commercial, and industrial uses are usually placed in separate districts, but it is not unusual to find businesses in some residential zones, or industrial uses in commercial areas. A number of new techniques for agricultural zoning have been developed which adapt conventional zoning for specific application to agricultural land use. Nonagricultural uses, and even some agricultural activities requiring special treatment, are set up as special exceptions or conditional uses. This allows greater control over the location of nonagricultural uses where they won't interfere with farming.
Agriculture is treated as a specialized form of industry with unique needs.
Various forms of agricultural production, farm dwellings and buildings, accessory uses such as roadside stands, and farm-related businesses are permitted as part of an overall agricultural production unit. The advantage of sliding-scale zoning is that it allows some nonfarm development to occur without overusing valuable farmland. In a well-designed agricultural zoning program, several of these approaches could be combined. Incentives could be made available within a sliding scale zoning ordinance. Each municipality can combine the techniques in innovative ways to effectively treat its farmland preservation needs.