The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) accepts AEA petitions requesting designation once a year. Wisconsin law allows up to two million acres to be designated as agricultural enterprise areas. Currently, the state has designated over 1.7 million acres as AEAs across the state. Petitions are developed through the cooperation of the landowners and town and county governments where the proposed area is located.
Photo of Farmland in Greenville-Greenbelt AEA, Outagamie County
AEA Petition Materials - 2026 Petition Period
The Agricultural Enterprise Area petition period for 2026 is open. All AEA petition applications and materials are due to the department by July 31, 2026. Completed petitions can be emailed to DATCPWorkingLands@Wisconsin.gov. Instructions to completed the petition applications have been incorporated into the application and include details on required components and submission.
Petition Materials for New AEAs:
These petition materials should be used by a community looking to develop a new agricultural enterprise area.
Petition Materials for Modification of an Existing AEA:
A modification petition is used to amend an existing AEA, often times to add additional and new landowners to a boundary.
AEA Petitioner Signature Pages both New and Modification Petition Applications:
Signature pages can be signed digitally or printed out and signed in person.
AEA Petitioner Interview Scheduling:
A community that is working on the submission of an AEA petition for the 2026 petition cycle must contact the Farmland Preservation Team at DATCPWorkingLands@Wisconsin.gov to discuss their proposed petition and schedule the petitioner interview. Petitioner Interviews will be scheduled in June 2026.
Please contact DATCPWorkingLands@Wisconsin.gov with any questions, or to schedule an informational meeting regarding the petition process.
Example of Successful Petitions