Right to Farm in Wisconsin (2026)
22 rules on the books across Wisconsin, 19 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Farm Nuisance Protection
Whether established farms are shielded from nuisance lawsuits and from local ordinances that would restrict their operations.
Wisconsin: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsWisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring…
Read full rule →Fitchburg
Some RestrictionsFitchburg's RC Rural Cluster District ties new rural subdivisions to farming: Sec. 22-614(3) requires every new…
Read full rule →Agricultural Zoning Protection
State rules that limit how cities and counties may zone or restrict agricultural land uses, including livestock and crop operations.
Wisconsin: statewide
StatewideFew RestrictionsWisconsin's Working Lands Initiative under Statute 91 establishes farmland preservation zoning districts, certifies…
Read full rule →Appleton
Some RestrictionsAppleton zones farmland under a dedicated AG Agricultural district (Sec. 23-91) that holds land for active farming…
Read full rule →Burlington
Some RestrictionsBurlington's A-1 Agricultural/Holding District under City Code § 315-15 protects general farming, including grazing and…
Read full rule →Dane County
Some RestrictionsDane County protects working farms in unincorporated towns through Farmland Preservation zoning districts (FP-1 and…
Read full rule →De Pere
Some RestrictionsDe Pere zones farmland under a dedicated Agricultural (AG) district, Zoning Ordinance Art. V, § 14-51, meant to keep…
Read full rule →Fitchburg
Some RestrictionsFitchburg's Sec. 22-481 A-X Exclusive Agriculture District exists to keep farmland in production: rezoning out of it…
Read full rule →Green Bay
Some RestrictionsGreen Bay's Conservancy District permits farming, plant nurseries and crop production by right, but excludes livestock…
Read full rule →Madison
Some RestrictionsMadison's Agricultural (A) zoning district, MGO § 28.092, protects rural land at the city's edge for continued farming…
Read full rule →Marathon County
Some RestrictionsMarathon County shields farmland from sprawl through its General Agriculture (G-A) and Farmland Preservation (F-P)…
Read full rule →Middleton
Some RestrictionsMiddleton's AGR Agricultural zoning district, established at City of Middleton Municipal Code § 10.02.60, is written to…
Read full rule →Milton
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin uses its (RH-35) Rural Holding zoning district, capped at one dwelling per 35 gross…
Read full rule →New Berlin
Some RestrictionsNew Berlin protects farmland through two zoning districts, A-1 Agricultural and A-2 Agricultural and Rural Holding…
Read full rule →Outagamie County
Some RestrictionsOutagamie County's AED exclusive agricultural district zoning keeps highly productive farmland in production by…
Read full rule →Racine County
Some RestrictionsRacine County's A-1 farmland preservation district limits non-agricultural encroachment and land-use conflicts…
Read full rule →Sun Prairie
Some RestrictionsFarming inside the City of Sun Prairie is zoned, not banned. Cultivation, husbandry and intensive agriculture are…
Read full rule →Walworth County
Some RestrictionsWalworth County's A-1 Prime Agricultural Land District is a Farmland Preservation District built to keep highly…
Read full rule →Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsThe A-1 Agricultural District, the base zoning for most unincorporated Waukesha County farmland, permits farm uses by…
Read full rule →Wausau
Some RestrictionsWausau's Rural Holding (RH-35) zoning district exists specifically to protect farming: City Code Section 23.02.20(1)…
Read full rule →Winnebago County
Some RestrictionsWinnebago County's Chapter 23 zoning code creates an Agribusiness (A-1) district built specifically to protect…
Read full rule →Mosinee
Few RestrictionsThe City of Mosinee zones a dedicated R-5 Agricultural and Estate District where general farming, livestock raising…
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