Grant County, WA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 40 acres (UDC Table 2)
- Non-ag development cap
- 20% of parcel, min. 1 acre
- Article
- UDC Article V, Resource Lands
- Adjacent buffer
- 100 ft under right-to-farm section
- Citation
- GCC § 23.04.560
Summary
The Agricultural (AG) zoning district covers Grant County's most productive Columbia Basin farmland and reserves it primarily for crop agriculture, livestock, and irrigation-dependent uses. Grant County Code § 23.04.560 sets AG's purpose and lists uses allowed outright, from composting and farm-based direct marketing to soil-dependent greenhouses.
(a)Purpose: The purpose of the Agricultural zoning district (AG) is to provide land for continued farming activities, conserve agricultural land, and reaffirm agricultural use, activities and operations as the primary use of the zoning district. The zoning district is composed mainly of lands with highly productive soil that is generally suited to crop agriculture, agricultural related industries, livestock maintenance, existing public irrigation facilities and potential future expansion of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. ... (b)Permitted Uses: Uses allowed outright, discretionary uses and conditional uses are listed in Table 4. In addition to those listed in Table 4 the following uses are allowed outright in this zoning district:(1)Farm-based business and enterprise including, but not limited to, direct marketing of unprocessed and value-added agricultural products and agricultural support businesses;
Full Breakdown
560 establishes the Agricultural (AG) zoning district under Article V, Resource Lands Zoning Districts, of the Unified Development Code. The purpose clause ties the district directly to the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project: AG land is described as generally suited to crop agriculture, agricultural-related industries, and livestock maintenance, with existing public irrigation facilities and room for future Columbia Basin Project expansion. Subsection (b) lists uses allowed outright beyond the base zoning table (UDC Table 4), including farm-based businesses that directly market unprocessed and value-added agricultural products, management and harvest of any crop, composting, livestock and poultry waste lagoons built to agricultural best management practices, on-site sorting, bagging, storage, and wholesale processing tied to on-site or whole-farm production, soil-dependent greenhouses producing directly in native soil, wholesale nurseries, and farm-oriented feedlots.
Non-soil-dependent greenhouses, growing on cement, gravel beds or elevated platforms, are barred unless the production supports the surrounding agricultural operation. 320(f), with a minimum of one acre allowed regardless of density. 080, when new residential or other sensitive uses are proposed within 500 feet.
Violations & Fines
Developing a use in the AG zoning district that is not listed as allowed, discretionary, or conditional in UDC Table 4, or exceeding the 20 percent non-agricultural development cap under GCC § 22.04.320(f), is a zoning violation Grant County Development Services can enforce through GCC Chapter 25.16, which allows infractions, civil penalties, and compliance orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum lot size in Grant County's Agricultural zoning district?
Can I run a farm stand or value-added food business on AG land?
How much of my AG-zoned parcel can I develop for non-farm uses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington right to farm overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.