FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Pierce County, Georgia

$1.9M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 27/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Pierce County

$1.9M in USDA farm subsidies to Pierce County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 142 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $1.9M
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $15,268
Dairy Programs $8,408
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $1,854

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

$5.5M 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 Strickland III Farms $271,862
2 J.H.R. $190,957
3 Papa J's Honey LLC $126,155
4 Jjs Honey LLC $109,755
5 Tmp 20 Farms LLC $71,269
6 C Clark Farms LLC $70,703
7 C.P.C. $52,161
8 J.W.M.J. $51,723
9 S.H. $50,707
10 G.Y.M. $47,527

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

About Farming in Pierce County

Pierce County reads differently from many of its peers on support — by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Pierce County is among the better-supported counties in Georgia (Underserved Score 27/100). By contrast, about 16% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant.

Pierce County has roughly 345 farms working about 85,622 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~248 acres per farm.

In Pierce County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $134/acre and farmland is valued near $3,076/acre (USDA NASS).

Pierce County is predominantly cotton country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are cotton (~33% of harvested cropland), peanuts (~22% of harvested cropland), and corn (~21% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 2 head per 100 farmland acres (about 1,244 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Pierce County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 41% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 142 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Georgia counties listed below, Pierce County's Underserved Score (27/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~48/100), ranking above 0 of 5 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Pierce County farms growing covered commodities may be eligible for commodity-support programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and for federal crop insurance — eligibility depends on your crops and base acres, so check with your FSA office.

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

Local USDA Offices for Pierce County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Pierce 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
Pierce County Farm Service Agency
705 College Avenue, Blackshear, GA
(912) 449-5303
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Blackshear Service Center
705 College Avenue, Blackshear, GA
(912) 449-6273

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

27 out of 100
Well-Served (high USDA $/acre vs. peers)
#122 of 133 most underserved in Georgia (9th pctile)
12th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 1.6/25
Producer Priority? 15.0/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 9.6/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the GA-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Elevated beginning-producer presence (66 per 100 farms)
  • Above-average women producers (54 per 100 farms)
  • Notable veteran population (7.0%)
  • Above-median insured loss ratio (2.79).

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 Pierce 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, Pierce County received about $22.13 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in GA for USDA $/acre. That ranks #172 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (85,622 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 27).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
20,425
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$56,330
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
16.2%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.1%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$134/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$3,076/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
1,155
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
38,648
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Pierce County receive?

Pierce County recipients received about $1.9M 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 Pierce County?

As a mainly cotton-growing county, Pierce County farms with covered program crops may be eligible for commodity support (ARC/PLC) and federal crop insurance, alongside conservation programs (CRP, EQIP, CSP), disaster assistance, 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; 27 for Pierce County — Well-Served (high USDA $/acre vs. peers)) 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 Georgia

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Pierce 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.