The Department of Agriculture manages Delaware’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Program, aiming to enable landowners to voluntarily preserve their farms. This initiative seeks to maintain the agricultural integrity and prevent future non-agricultural development of these lands.
Established in 1991, Delaware's Agricultural Lands (Aglands) Preservation Program is designed to help landowners preserve their farms through a voluntary, two-phase process. The first phase involves creating an Agricultural Preservation District where no payment is made, but landowners agree to use their land solely for agricultural purposes for ten years. This phase is also open to forested properties under the Forestland Preservation Program. The second phase involves landowners selling their farm’s development rights in the form of an Agricultural Conservation Easement, making the preservation permanent. Each year, a selection process occurs where landowners can bid to sell these rights. The program offers various benefits, including tax exemptions and protections against nuisance suits for land within these preservation zones. Participation also supports a range of agricultural activities and provides potential tax benefits under certain conditions.