The first official agricultural preserve in the United States was Napa Valley.The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

In 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors passed a landmark zoning ordinance that made Napa Valley the first agricultural preserve in the United States. The Ag Preserve, as it is known, severely restricts commercial activities and mandates agriculture as the “highest and best” use of Napa Valley land. The Ag Preserve means you’ll never find a Starbucks in the middle of vineyards.