Ag Areas

Ag Areas - officially known as "Agricultural Areas" can be established through local action under the authority found in the Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act passed by the Illinois General Assembly in 1980.

Ag Areas offer one means of helping to maintain farmland for farming purposes. While the Ag Area designation is not a total solution in and of itself, it is another tool that may be used by landowners.

The development of Ag Areas is best accomplished in those areas which are strictly agricultural in nature and where landowners and county officials have an interest in preserving the land for farming. A minimum of 350 acres is required. It takes the commitment of both landowners and county government officials to make it happen.

Once established, the Ag Area remains in place for 10 years; with subsequent extensions of the designation each lasting an additional 8 years. Provisions are in place to allow individual parcels of property to be removed from, or added to, the area within those periods of time. Again, both the landowners and local government officials will have to agree on those changes making Ag Areas truly a joint effort by the public and private sectors.

LaSalle County currently has five Ag Areas: Adams, Manlius, Serena, Earl-Freedom, and Covel Creek areas.

Ag Area Maps

• LaSalle County Ag Area Map (PDF)
• Adams Ag Area (PDF)
• Manlius Ag Area (PDF)
• Serena Ag Area (PDF)
• Earl-Freedom Ag Area (PDF)
• Covel Creek Ag Area (PDF)

For more information, contact the LaSalle County Farm Bureau or the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Farmland Protection at 217-782-6297.

Additional information is available on the La Salle County Soil and Water Conservation District website.