Saint Paul, MN Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- CUP threshold
- agriculture use over 1 acre
- Soil safety
- lead test must show under 100 ppm
- On-site sales
- capped at 3/year, 7am-7pm
- Accessory buildings
- max 10% of parcel or 1,000 sq ft
- Animals
- only bees permitted
- Signage
- 1 ID sign, max 6 sq ft
Summary
Saint Paul has no separate right-to-farm ordinance; agriculture is a regulated zoning use under Section 65.771, requiring a site plan and soil lead test for every farm use, a conditional use permit once the growing area passes one acre, and limits on on-site produce sales, storage sheds, and signage.
Principal use of land for production of food or horticultural crops to be harvested, sold, or donated. Standards and conditions: (a)Approval of a site plan showing the location of all growing plots, sheds, structures, and fencing, with contact information for a site manager. A soil lead test showing that lead levels are less than one hundred (100) parts per million shall be submitted to the zoning administrator with the site plan or raised planting beds with soil barriers and clean, imported soil will be required.(b)In residential, traditional neighborhood, and business districts, an agriculture use having an area greater than one (1) acre requires a conditional use permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
' Every agriculture use must have a site plan approved by the zoning administrator showing growing plots, sheds, structures, fencing, and a site manager's contact information, plus either a soil lead test confirming levels below 100 parts per million or raised beds with soil barriers and imported clean soil. In residential, traditional neighborhood, and business districts, any agriculture use covering more than one acre needs a conditional use permit. The use must meet the city's minimum property maintenance standards under Chapter 34 and noise rules under Chapter 293, control odor, dust, erosion, lighting, and noise as a nuisance matter enforceable under Chapter 45, and store tools and materials inside an enclosed, secured structure.
Keeping animals other than bees on an agriculture site is prohibited except for residents' own permitted pets. , must be held on the seller's own property or one lawfully occupied by a charitable, institutional, or political organization, and cannot spill onto the public sidewalk or boulevard. Accessory buildings are capped at 10 percent of the parcel or 1,000 square feet, whichever is greater, and one identification sign up to six square feet is allowed. The section was last amended by Ordinance 24-21 on September 18, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Farming without an approved site plan or soil lead test, exceeding the one-acre conditional-use-permit threshold, holding more than three on-site sales a year, or building accessory structures beyond the size cap violates Section 65.771 and is enforceable as a misdemeanor under Section 61.901, with fines up to $1,000 under Section 1.05; unresolved odor, dust, or noise complaints can also trigger nuisance abatement under Chapter 45.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to start a vegetable garden for sale in Saint Paul?
Can I keep chickens on my urban farm lot?
How many times a year can I sell produce grown on my residential lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
Compare Saint Paul to another location·View the Minnesota right to farm overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.