Austin urban farms: one to five acres, and what you may do with animals
Between one and five acres — a ceiling as well as a floor
§25-2-863(C) puts an urban farm in a band: not less than one acre and not more than five. The floor is unremarkable. The ceiling is the interesting half — above five acres this is not an urban farm in the code's sense and the use does not apply to you.
Two other limits shape the site. Dwelling units may not exceed what the base district allows and, whatever the district says, never more than two. And §25-2-863(K) requires that the residential character of the lot and dwelling be maintained — the farm is meant to read as a house with land, not as an agricultural yard.
The animal rules split on whether your zoning is residential
Subsection (F) is two paragraphs, and which one you are in is decided by a single question: is the property zoned residential?
Everything on the raising side is the same either way. The divergence is entirely about what happens after the animal is raised.
| Not zoned residential | Zoned residential | |
|---|---|---|
| Raising fowl, rabbits, aquatic foods | Permitted, per Chapter 3-2 | Permitted, per Chapter 3-2 |
| Slaughtering aquatic foods | Permitted | Permitted |
| Slaughtering fowl and rabbits | Permitted | Prohibited |
| Processing fowl and rabbits | Permitted | Prohibited |
| Composting animal parts | Permitted | Prohibited |
| Processing rate | One fowl or rabbit per 1/10 acre per week | — |
| Separation | ≥ 50 ft from the nearest residential structure | — |
Both paragraphs of §25-2-863(F). Raising livestock is prohibited on either, under subsection (E).
A processing rate measured in acres and weeks
On non-residential property the limit is not a headcount but a rate: one animal, either fowl or rabbit, per one-tenth of an acre, per week. A one-acre farm may process ten a week; a five-acre farm, fifty.
Two more conditions ride with it. Composting, slaughtering or processing must happen at least 50 feet from the nearest residential structure other than the one belonging to the farm — so a neighbour's house sets the distance, your own does not. And slaughtering and processing must be out of public view.
No synthetic inputs, and a pest plan the City approves
§25-2-863(H) is short and absolute: the use of synthetic inputs is prohibited. Not limited, not conditioned. Alongside it, an Integrated Pest Management Plan developed under the Environmental Criteria Manual and approved by the Watershed Protection Department must be followed.
Water conservation practices must meet at minimum Chapter 6-4 of the City Code. And an urban farm may sit within the critical water quality zone if it meets the sustainable urban agriculture or community garden requirements of §25-8-261(B)(4) — one of very few uses this hub covers that is welcome there at all.
What you may sell, and how many people may work there
You may sell from the site, or distribute off-site, anything you raised or that was produced within the State of Texas. Bringing in other people's produce is allowed but capped: goods produced off-site by someone other than the farmer cannot exceed 20 percent of the retail space by area.
Staffing scales with land. The maximum number of full-time, non-seasonal employees is two for each full acre, plus two for any remaining part-acre, and the property owner is not counted. A one-and-a-half acre farm may have six; a five-acre farm, ten.
One small relief at the end: agricultural education activities described in §25-2-7 do not require a temporary use permit.
Common questions
Send us an address and we will tell you what we find
We do this research ourselves on every project we take on — zoning, floodplain, watershed, trees, whether it is a legal lot. Send us an address and we will run it and tell you what we find. It works the same whether you own a vacant lot, a house you are thinking of adding a unit to, or a house you are thinking of replacing. No charge and no strings, and if it is a bad lot we will say so.
Send us an addressWe are homebuilders, not the City of Austin. This page explains how we read the code in practice — it is not legal advice and it is not an official determination. Always confirm with Austin Development Services before you rely on it for a project. The authoritative text is the Austin Land Development Code; permitting questions go to Austin Development Services Department.