Table of Contents

Agritourism | Food Systems

The county’s land development code addresses agritourism. Agritourism activities are permitted on agricultural districts within the county (§34-653). Uses permitted by right include recreational activities, educational activities, demonstrations, and produce stands and sales (§34-1711). A special events permit is required for events with attendance of 1,000 or more. The code also provides brief standards for produce stands (§34-1713) and u-pick operations (§34-1715). The code also defines “agritourism activity” (§34-2).

Farmland Protection

The county’s land development code addresses farmland protection. Special planning community regulations for the Greater Pine Island jurisdiction allow developers to request increases in residential density for committing to "continued agricultural use on existing farmland" (defined in §33-1002) on designated lands (§33-1057). Such lands must be protected by a conservation easement and maintained to remove exotic invasive plants; development rights are transferred to other properties.