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. In some states, the benefits provided by agricultural districts are not enough incentive for farmers to enroll. In some states, the procedure for creating agricultural districts is lengthy and complex.