Shasta County, CA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- A-1 minimum lot for ag use
- 1 gross acre
- A-1 horse/mule/steer limit
- 1 per half acre
- EA district purpose
- Full-time ag, Williamson Act preserves
- Animal sanitation standard
- County Code § 6.04.050
- Zoning enforcement chapter
- Shasta County Code Ch. 17.94
Summary
Shasta County channels farming into two zoning districts built to keep land in agricultural use: Limited Agriculture (A-1) for part-time and hobby operations, and Exclusive Agriculture (EA) for full-time farms large enough to qualify for Williamson Act preserves. Both districts protect growing, raising, and on-site sale of farm products as a right, not a conditional tolerance.
The purpose of the limited agriculture (A-1) district is to preserve agricultural lands at a size capable of supporting part-time agricultural operations, typically operated as a hobby or to supplement the occupant's income... The purpose of the exclusive agricultural (EA) district is to preserve lands with agricultural value that have the combination of size and quality...to make their use for agriculture economically feasible, and within which agricultural preserves may be created for the purpose of utilizing provisions of the law relating to agricultural preserves.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
010 establishes the Limited Agriculture (A-1) district to preserve agricultural lands at a size capable of supporting part-time agricultural operations, typically run as a hobby or to supplement income, consistent with the county's agricultural-part-time cropland/grazing (A-cg) general plan designation. 300. 010 sets up the more protective Exclusive Agriculture (EA) district to preserve lands with the size and quality to make agriculture economically feasible, within which agricultural preserves may be created under state Williamson Act law, tracking the general plan's agricultural-croplands (A-C) and agricultural-grazing (A-G) designations. 150.
Violations & Fines
Running an agricultural use that exceeds a district's animal-count or acreage standards, or a use never listed in Sections 17.04.020 or 17.06.020, is a zoning violation enforced under Shasta County Code Chapter 17.94. The county's general penalty section, 1.12.050, authorizes an administrative fine up to the maximum a criminal misdemeanor conviction could carry for the same offense, assessed per day for a continuing violation, on top of any civil abatement action against the property owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shasta County have a formal 'right-to-farm' ordinance?
How many animals can I keep on agriculturally zoned land?
Can I sell what I grow on an agriculturally zoned parcel?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California right to farm overview
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