Southwest District #3: Eight Year Review Information Page

Southwest District #3: Eight-Year Review Information Page

2026 Southwest Agricultural District Press Release

Southwest Agricultural District Memo

2026 Southwest Agricultural District Farm Survey

2026 Southwest Agricultural District Parcel Addition Form

Agricultural districts are reviewed by the County and recertified by the New York State

Department of Agriculture and Markets for agricultural viability every eight years. During

the review process, landowners can elect to have their land remain in the district,

remove their land from the district, or add land to the district. Please note that while land

can be added to an agricultural district each year through the annual additions process,

land can only be removed through the eight-year review process. Landowners who want

their land to remain in an agricultural district do not need to take any action during the

eight-year review.

The eight-year review of the Southwest District in the Towns of Hounsfield, Henderson,

Ellisburg, and portions of the Towns of Adams, Watertown, and Lorraine is currently

underway. Landowners with land currently enrolled in the Southwest District have been

mailed a letter informing them of the review, a farm survey, and an addition request

form.

The farm survey will identify the parcels that landowners currently have enrolled in the

District. If you would like to remove any of your properties or add properties to the

Southwest District, please complete and return the form by June 30, 2025. If you

own land in the Towns of Hounsfield, Henderson, Ellisburg, and portions of the Towns of

Adams, Watertown, and Lorraine that is not currently enrolled in the Southwest District

and would like to add it to the District or you believe you own land in the District but did

not receive a form and would like to make changes, please use the farm survey and/or

addition forms available on the Jefferson County Planning Department website linked

below.

Some landowners with land currently enrolled in the Southwest District will also receive

a Farm Survey that is intended to gauge the state of agriculture in the District.

Landowners who currently own an agricultural operation within the Southwest District or

rent their land to an agricultural operation are asked to complete and return the survey

by June 30, 2025. You do not need to complete the survey if you do not farm your land

or rent land for an agricultural operation. The results of the survey will be detailed in the

Jefferson County Farmland Protection Board’s eight-year review report to the Jefferson

County Board of Legislators. Responses will not be attributed to landowners by name in

the report.

After the open period ends, the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board will review

the requests and prepare a report that is submitted to the County Board of Legislators

for their consideration. The Board will then hold a public hearing to receive feedback on

the requested modifications, if any. Once the County Board of Legislators has approved

of the changes, the report is finalized and sent to the New York State Department of

Agriculture and Markets for recertification of the Southwest District. This process

typically takes eight to ten months.

For more information, contact:

Samuel Wilson

Jefferson County Department of Planning

(315) 785-3144

swilson@jeffersoncountyny.gov