Measure carefully

Farmland preserved through a development-rights program is not the same metric as all land classified as farmland.

SECTION 01

How much land is in farms?

DNREC’s habitat-condition material reports that Delaware land in farms declined from 589,107 acres in 1997 to 520,000 acres in 2024. It also reports 414,800 acres of cropland in 2025, of which 403,700 acres were harvested. “Land in farms,” “cropland” and “harvested acres” are distinct measures and should not be used interchangeably. The figures describe different years and categories.

Source note DNREC habitat condition data

SECTION 02

Farmland preservation results

The state’s 2026 investment dashboard reports that from fiscal years 2021 through 2025, Delaware preserved 257 farms covering more than 17,373 acres, supported by more than $68 million in state, federal and local funding. It reports a further 602 acres preserved through the Young Farmer Loan Program since 2021. FY2026 farmland-preservation data were listed as pending in the dashboard.

Source note 2026 State Financial Investments Dashboard

SECTION 03

What farmland preservation does

Delaware’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Program allows eligible landowners to sell development rights while continuing agricultural use. It is not the same as public ownership, and the preserved acreage total is not a full measure of all open space or conservation land. Review program rules and the property’s recorded restrictions before describing a parcel as permanently protected.
SECTION 04

Land-use trade-offs

Development, farming, conservation and infrastructure can compete for the same land. A road or utility extension may support new housing and employment while changing traffic, drainage and habitat patterns. A preserved farm can maintain agricultural use while nearby zoning or infrastructure changes still affect surrounding land. Good analysis identifies the specific parcel, legal status, plan designation, utility capacity and environmental constraints rather than relying on countywide generalizations.
SECTION 05

Find maps and reports

The Department of Agriculture publishes Aglands Preservation maps, round-selection materials, cash-rent and land-value information, and periodic situation reports. Use the official Maps & Reports page for the latest available dataset and note the date and definitions supplied with each map.