De Pere, WI Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

The City of De Pere zones farmland separately from its residential and commercial districts under the Agricultural (AG) classification in Article V of the Zoning Ordinance, current through the December 19, 2023 amendments. Section 14-51 states the purpose plainly: the AG district is intended to accommodate the continuation of farming activities and related uses in those areas of the city that are not yet suitable for or committed to more urban intensity development. That framing matters for property owners at De Pere's edges, where farmland sits next to newer subdivisions: AG zoning functions as a holding classification for agricultural use rather than a permanent conservation designation, and land can move to another district through the zoning map amendment procedure of § 14-122 as the city grows around it.

Section 14-51(2) ties allowed uses in the AG district to the citywide use table in Article VII rather than listing them out separately, so anyone planning a farm-related business or accessory use has to check that table before building or operating. The district also carries its own outdoor-storage standard aimed at working farms: farm implements and machinery must be stored inside accessory structures during periods of non-use, and that equipment cannot sit in a required building setback even temporarily. The rule lets a farm keep machinery on site without triggering an outdoor-storage complaint, while keeping equipment out of the yard areas the city reserves as setbacks.

Enforcement of the AG district's standards runs through the development services director under Article XV of the Zoning Ordinance, the same office responsible for all zoning administration citywide.