Since the founding of Santa Cruz County, agriculture has shaped the economic, cultural, and physical landscape. Blessed with fertile agricultural soil and a mild year-round growing season, Santa Cruz County supports a thriving and diverse agricultural industry. Agricultural land also contributes to the character of rural areas and to the quality and extent of open space in the County.
Agriculture continues to be one of the largest industries in the County, with a gross value of nearly $500 million annually from 2000-2018 (County of Santa Cruz Crop Reports 2000-2018). Organic farming and pastures represented approximately 25% of the total crop value as of 2018. Santa Cruz County is also recognized as an important wine-growing region. The Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area includes, in general, all lands above the 400-foot topographical contour. “Santa Cruz County” is also a viticultural area. In addition, after the State legalized cannabis cultivation and manufacturing for recreational use in 2016, cannabis has also become a significant specialty crop in the County.
There are two primary agricultural zone districts within the County:
- Commercial Agriculture (CA): The purposes of the CA Commercial Agriculture Zone District are to preserve the commercial agricultural lands within Santa Cruz County which are a limited and irreplaceable natural resource, to maintain the economic integrity of the economic farm units comprising the commercial agricultural areas of the County, to implement the agricultural preservation policy of SCCC 16.50.010, and to maintain and enhance the general welfare of the County as a whole by preserving and protecting agriculture, one of the County’s major industries economic sectors.
Uses allowed on Commercial Agricultural zoned lands include commercial cultivation of plant crops, including food, flower, and fiber crops; and raising of animals including grazing and livestock production; small-scale, ancillary agricultural support uses such as the marketing of products grown on site and agri-tourism events that are compatible with the primary agricultural use; Employee Housing Act (EHA) farmworker housing projects, and the uses described in SCCC 13.10.312. Development of non-agricultural uses which may conflict with commercial agriculture are excluded.
- Agricultural (A): The purposes of the A Agriculture Zone District are to support the diversity of farm operations on agricultural land in the County which has not been designated as Commercial Agricultural land (Type 1, 2 or 3 agricultural resource) but which contributes to open space and/or rural character and may constitute a productive natural resource.
Uses allowed on noncommercial agricultural include family gardening and family animal raising, agricultural support uses such as agricultural service establishments, agricultural processing facilities and produce markets, agriculturally related uses such as tree service and kennels as scaled and limited appropriately, scaled commercial agricultural activities, and the uses described in SCCC 13.10.312.
The Residential Agricultural (RA) zoning designation is considered a residential zone district and uses are subject to those allowed in residential zone districts as described in County Code Section 13.10.322.
When considering development on CA or A zoned land, please note that although agriculture should be the primary use of the property, single-family dwellings and associated structures are conditionally permitted, provided that the use is ancillary to the agricultural use of the property, does not conflict with the agricultural viability of the site, and is not detrimental to agricultural operations in the area.
Non-agricultural uses are subject to a 200-foot setback from CA zoned land and proposals to reduce that setback are considered by the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission (APAC) at a public hearing. Additional information on agricultural buffer setbacks is available here.