Article 25 AA of the New York Agriculture and Markets Law made differential assessment available to New York farmers and contained provisions that have since been incorporated into other agricultural district laws, including protection against unreasonable local regulations, special review of the use of eminent domain and a requirement that state agency policies support the continuation of farming in agricultural districts. The oldest agricultural district programs continue to evolve. A 1994 amendment to the Williamson Act made it more difficult for local governments to acquire land in agricultural preserves for public use. They can be designed to prevent development of farmland, to provide incentives to keep land in agriculture or simply to address some of the challenges of farming in urban-influenced areas. How the programs are structured determines which of these functions they are likely to serve.
Agricultural districts help stabilize the land base at low public cost.
Agricultural districts provide multiple benefits to farmers, including tax relief, protection from local regulation and eligibility for PACE programs. These benefits help support the economics of farming. Agricultural districts help create a critical mass of land to keep farming viable. Enrollment in agricultural districts is voluntary, making the programs popular with farmers. Limits on non-farm development may not prevent expansion of public services such as water and sewer lines into agricultural areas.