About the District

Agricultural Assessment

The Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is responsible for completing Soil Group Worksheets for farm landowners applying for an agricultural assessment. Agricultural assessments allow qualified landowners to receive a property tax exemption and are applied for through the Tompkins County Division of Assessment.

A full explanation of the agricultural assessment program, its eligibility requirements and restrictions, and how the Soil Group Worksheet is completed, can be found at the New York State Department of Agricultural and Markets website:

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/pamphlet/exempt/agassess.htm

Applicants interested in applying need to pick up a “Long Form” from the Division of Assessment. The Soil Group Worksheet, completed by a Tompkins County SWCD technician, is turned into the Division of Assessment when both are finished. It is necessary to fill out both forms for each parcel that is entered into agricultural assessment. The annual due date for turning in these forms is March 1, but the sooner you contact a SWCD technician to complete this form, the better. November is an excellent time to contact the SWCD about having this work begun.

There is a charge associated with having the Soil Group Worksheet completed. Tompkins County SWCD charges $25.00 per worksheet for parcels that have never been in agricultural assessment; this charge is also applied to parcels that have previously been in agricultural assessment, but have undergone a change of ownership. The SWCD charges $15.00 each for revisions of Soil Group Worksheets for parcels that have undergone acreage changes. Landowners who have been in the agricultural assessment program, but have sold off some portion of their parcel(s) MUST have new Soil Group Worksheets completed and must still meet eligibility requirements.

Before contacting the SWCD (257-2340) about having the Soil Group Worksheet completed, please be ready to provide the following information:

Township and tax map number of parcel (example: Town of Dryden, 34.-3-19.14)
Owner(s) of property as the name(s) appears on the title deed for the parcel
Approximate total number of acres on parcel
Property address
Mailing address and phone number of owner

It may be necessary, depending on the complexity of the parcel, to meet with a SWCD technician at our office to discuss the boundaries of crop land, pasture, woodland, and non-agricultural land on the lot before the Soil Group Worksheet is completed. It generally takes about one week (depending on the number we are working on at the time) to complete a worksheet.

Please call our office or stop by if you have any questions about having a Soil Group Worksheet completed for a farmland parcel. If you have questions regarding eligibility for or restrictions of the agricultural assessment program, please contact the Tompkins County Division of Assessment at 274-5517 and ask to speak with your township’s Real Property Appraiser.

Useful Agricultural Assessment Website Links

Tompkins County Division of Assessment

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Agricultural Districts Program