Landowner/Public Engagement

 Discover, Support, and Celebrate Agriculture in Dutchess County

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Dutchess County’s economy, landscape, and community life. Whether you’re a landowner, educator, or neighbor, you can play a role in supporting farms and ensuring a strong local food system.

• Buy Local: Farms & Markets - Explore
• Landowner Resources: Lease options, farmer-landowner match programs
• Conserve Your Land

Popular Resources

• Food Security & Access: Programs that connect residents with fresh, local food
• Dutchess County Agricultural Snapshot (.pdf) 
• Agritourism destinations - Farm & Food Tours, and Events

Questions?

• Want to start a garden? Dutchess CCE
• Interested in starting a farm? – Beginning farmers page
• Looking to buy land but not sure what to do on it?
  • Check out the beginning farmers section on the “First Five Steps”
• Curious about farmland assessment?

Landowner Resources

• Conserve Land
  Explore options to permanently or temporarily protect your land through easements, tax programs, or conservation practices. Local and regional partners can help you preserve farmland, forests, and open space for future generations.
• Ag District
  Agricultural Districts provide legal protections for farmland, limit restrictive local laws, and help keep land available for agriculture. Enrollment is voluntary and reviewed annually in Dutchess County.
• Landowner/Farmer match programs
  If you’re not farming your land, you can connect with a farmer who needs space. Match programs and local resources make it easier to lease land, keep it productive, and support the next generation of agriculture.