Winter Haven, FL Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Winter Haven does not have a stand-alone right-to-farm ordinance, but its Unified Land Development Code carves out the AG, Agriculture zoning district specifically to shield working farmland from residential pressure as the City grows. Sec. 21-34(b) states the district's purpose is to provide for agricultural activities within the City and for the continuation of agricultural tax exempt status established by Florida Statutes, on property at the City's perimeter that is used for agriculture and carries no established urban land uses. 20 dwelling units per gross acre, far below every other residential district, and the minimum lot size in Table 21-34 is 217,500 square feet, roughly five acres, with a 250-foot minimum width and 400-foot minimum depth.

Permitted agricultural uses under Sec. 21-34(c)(1) include producing or harvesting crops, raising livestock or fish, dairying, forestry, fisheries and game propagation, though intense agricultural activities such as feed lots and egg production are not allowed within the City limits unless they predate annexation. Sec. 21-34(e)(1) protects the ability to sell farm output directly to the public: excess produce from orchards, vineyards, nurseries, groves, greenhouses or any commercial farm may be sold on-site from a roadside stand, held to the same setback as any other accessory structure.

Building setbacks in the AG district run 40 feet front, 30 feet side, 30 feet street side and 50 feet rear, with a 40-foot highwater-mark setback on lake-adjacent parcels.