I read the story, I don't think the whole truth is being told, but you can figure it out reading between the lines. The guy is also involved in equipment auctions. The "field" he parked the equipment in is an 11 acre parcel, which he admits is miles from his core business, and along a highway. He put gravel down?? This isn't a farmer parking tractors on the edge of a field, its an equipment auction biz parking tractors along a highway for advertising is my read. And zoning doesn't like it because it looks like a commercial dealer on land that's zoned something else.
That said, the gov should fuck off and leave him alone. There isn't much I can stand less than zoning departments, they are FULL of busybody liberals who love telling people what to do.