MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Supreme Court says Wisconsin farmers don’t need to sell crops to qualify for property tax breaks. The ruling Thursday stems from a dispute over whether the Town of Delafield Board of Review properly reclassified two parcels owned by the Ogden family from agricultural to residential in 2016. The change resulted in the Ogdens’ property taxes jumping from $17,000 to $886,000. The board argued the Ogdens weren’t commercial farmers so the land couldn’t be classified agricultural. The family countered that they grow apples, hay and Christmas trees on the land, agricultural uses as defined by the state Department of Revenue. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a business purpose isn’t required for an agricultural classification.
