FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Fairfield County, Connecticut

$2,970 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Fairfield County

$2,970 in USDA farm subsidies to Fairfield County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 4 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Crop Insurance Premium Subsidy

$2,970 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 Gilbertie's Herb Gardens Inc $750
2 Early's Edibles, LLC $750
3 Arista Industries, Inc. $750
4 Maple Craft Foods, LLC $720

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

About Farming in Fairfield County

In Fairfield County, the ground is the headline — farmland is valued near $11,310 an acre (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), among the higher-value cropland in the country. On top of that, farms here are small on average — about 126 acres apiece across roughly 338 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Fairfield County has roughly 338 farms working about 42,475 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~126 acres per farm.

In Fairfield County, farmland is valued near $11,310/acre (USDA NASS).

Fairfield County is predominantly hay country — a forage county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~41% of harvested cropland), orchards & fruit (~9% of harvested cropland), and vegetables (~6% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 1 head per 100 farmland acres (about 166 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Fairfield County, conservation and grazing-oriented USDA programs — such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and grassland options under CRP — may be worth asking your local NRCS office about. This is signposting from county land-use patterns, not an eligibility determination.

Local signals from public data: Receives less USDA $/acre than most CT counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Elevated beginning-producer presence (64 per 100 farms).

Local USDA Offices for Fairfield County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Fairfield 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
Litchfield County Farm Service Agency
1185 New Litchfield St, Torrington, CT
(860) 626-8852
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Hamden Service Center
51 Mill Pond Rd, Hamden, CT
(203) 287-8038

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

Not enough public data to score this county.

USDA Support Gap? 23.4/25
Producer Priority? 6.2/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most CT counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Elevated beginning-producer presence (64 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (92 per 100 farms)

We don't have enough public data to publish a single Underserved Score for this county yet — the score is published only when all three components (USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage) have data. The available components are shown above. Lower USDA $/acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use, not unclaimed funding.

Programs to look at in Fairfield 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 →
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) →PLC (Price Loss Coverage) →
See the full set of USDA programs you could qualify for → free Subsidy Finder

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, Fairfield County received about $0.07 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is near the state average for USDA $/acre. That ranks #2,961 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (42,475 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive.

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Median Income
$100,703
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.9%
(USDA ERS)
Land Value
$11,310/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Fairfield County receive?

Fairfield County recipients received about $2,970 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 Fairfield County?

In Fairfield County — where hay 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.

Nearby Counties in Connecticut

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Fairfield 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.