FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Colusa County, California

$10.4M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 42/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Colusa County

$10.4M in USDA farm subsidies to Colusa County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 504 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $10.1M
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $279,285
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $3,324

Selected program components shown individually. These are separate EWG/USDA pulls and are not additive to the headline subsidy total — no combined "total" is shown. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2024.

Crop Insurance Premium Subsidy

$20.8M in federal crop-insurance premium subsidy (RMA, 2024).

This is a separate program total (premium-subsidy dollars only) — it is not part of the subsidy headline above and is shown on its own. Source: USDA RMA via EWG, 2024.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2024 Total
1 R.L. $778,581
2 Vann Brothers $639,768
3 M.R.L. $619,300
4 T&p Farms $422,356
5 Empire Farming Co LLC $336,325
6 Lagrande Farms $317,372
7 N.C.N.C. $273,120
8 W.O. $266,762
9 Sean V Doherty Farms $180,755
10 Michael Steidlmayer Farming Lp $178,566

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in Colusa County

In Colusa County, the ground is the headline — farmland is valued near $11,119 an acre (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), among the higher-value cropland in the country. On top of that, by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Colusa County is among the better-supported counties in California (Underserved Score 42/100).

Colusa County has roughly 715 farms working about 465,843 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~652 acres per farm.

In Colusa County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $400/acre and farmland is valued near $11,119/acre (USDA NASS).

Colusa County is predominantly orchards & fruit country — a specialty county. Its leading harvested crops are orchards & fruit (~37% of harvested cropland), rice (~22% of harvested cropland), and vegetables (~9% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 5 head per 100 farmland acres (about 9,812 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Colusa County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 27% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 504 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby California counties listed below, Colusa County's Underserved Score (42/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~58/100), ranking above 2 of 5 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

Local signals from public data: Receives near or above the CA-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Colusa County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Colusa County apply for FSA and NRCS programs and get free, in-person help — they handle program sign-ups, conservation plans, and loan applications.

Farm Service Agency
Colusa County Farm Service Agency
100 Sunrise Blvd Ste D, Colusa, CA
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Colusa Service Center
100 Sunrise Blvd Ste D, Colusa, CA

Source: USDA Service Center locator (Farmers.gov). Office details can change — confirm current hours and appointments via farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

FarmGrant Underserved Score

42 out of 100
Near State Average
#37 of 55 most underserved in California (35th pctile)
37th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 4.2/25
Producer Priority? 19.9/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 14.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the CA-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Farming-dependent county economy
  • Above-average beginning producers (42 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (64 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated insured loss ratio (4.47) — higher recorded crop-loss claims

The Underserved Score (0–100) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties — built from up to three public-data components (USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage). Lower USDA $/acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use, not unclaimed funding. This is not a measure of need, deservedness, or eligibility, and it does not predict that any farm will receive funding. Sources: USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG subsidy records.

Programs to look at in Colusa County

These are USDA programs commonly relevant to counties like this one, based on public county patterns. They are not a determination that you qualify — you may be eligible; check with your local FSA or NRCS office.

Conservation programs most farms can use

Counties receiving below-average USDA dollars per acre are often under-enrolled in conservation programs open to most land. You may be eligible — these are worth asking your NRCS or FSA office about.

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) →EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) →
Priority for beginning producers

This county has a high share of beginning producers per 100 farms. These USDA programs give beginning producers priority scoring, set-asides, or higher cost-share — if that's you, they're worth a look.

FSA Microloan →FSA Direct Operating Loan →
Disaster & loss-protection programs

This county shows an elevated insured loss history. These disaster and risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.

LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program) →
Commodity support (if you grow program crops)

If you grow covered program crops, these commodity-support programs may apply. Eligibility depends on your crops and base acres — check with your FSA office.

ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage — County) →
See the full set of USDA programs you could qualify for → free Subsidy Finder

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, Colusa County received about $22.29 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in CA for USDA $/acre. That ranks #166 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (465,843 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive. This is the same axis as the Underserved Score above (less $/acre → higher Underserved Score, currently 42).

See how Colusa County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
22,037
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$66,675
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
12.3%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
13.0%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$400/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$11,119/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
1,304
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
446,798
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Colusa County receive?

Colusa County recipients received about $10.4M in USDA farm subsidies in 2024, per the EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm). This is a single-year county total of recorded payments, not a forecast of future funding.

What USDA programs are available to farmers in Colusa County?

In Colusa County — where orchards & fruit leads the harvested cropland — farmers may be eligible for conservation (CRP, EQIP), commodity support (ARC/PLC), disaster assistance, federal crop insurance, and FSA loans. Eligibility depends on your farm; use the free Subsidy Finder to see programs you could qualify for, then confirm with your local FSA or NRCS office.

How is the FarmGrant Underserved Score calculated?

The Underserved Score (0–100; 42 for Colusa County — Near State Average) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties, built from three public-data components — USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage (USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG records). Lower USDA support per acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use rather than unclaimed funding. It is not a measure of need or eligibility and does not predict that any farm will receive funding.

Nearby Counties in California

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Colusa County may qualify for USDA programs based on crop, conservation, and disaster activity. Run the free Subsidy Finder to see which programs you could qualify for, then prep your local USDA office visit.

Find Your Programs Prep USDA Visit Deadlines

Data as of June 08, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2024 release. Farmland acres: USDA NASS 2022 Census. Underserved Score refreshed monthly. Each figure above carries its own data year; this page is never fresher than its oldest input.