FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Cook County, Illinois

$21,941 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 61/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Cook County

$21,941 in USDA farm subsidies to Cook County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 20 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $7,148
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $4,768
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $275

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

$228,285 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 T.V.M. $5,148
2 A&b Apiary LLC $2,280
3 Nutripack, LLC $1,500
4 J.T.B. $1,440
5 Stuenkel Farms $1,075
6 T.H.S. $780
7 Rietveld Brothers $763
8 Us Nisshin Shokai Inc $750
9 Koval Distillery Inc $750
10 E.A.W.C. $750

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

About Farming in Cook County

In Cook County, the ground is the headline — farmland is valued near $18,054 an acre (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), among the higher-value cropland in the country. On top of that, by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Cook County sits toward the less-supported end of Illinois counties (Underserved Score 61/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding.

Cook County has roughly 154 farms working about 10,281 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~67 acres per farm.

In Cook County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $123/acre and farmland is valued near $18,054/acre (USDA NASS).

Cook County is predominantly hay country — a mixed county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~17% of harvested cropland) and vegetables (~4% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Recorded payments in Cook County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 52% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 20 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Illinois counties listed below, Cook County's Underserved Score (61/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~28/100), ranking above 6 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

Local signals from public data: Receives less USDA $/acre than most IL counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Elevated beginning-producer presence (91 per 100 farms).

Local USDA Offices for Cook County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Cook 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
Will-Cook County Farm Service Agency
1201 Gougar Rd, New Lenox, IL
(815) 485-0068
Natural Resources Conservation Service
New Lenox Service Center
1201 Gougar Rd, New Lenox, IL

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

61 out of 100
Moderately Underserved
#3 of 102 most underserved in Illinois (98th pctile)
73rd national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 22.9/25
Producer Priority? 6.2/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 9.6/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most IL counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Elevated beginning-producer presence (91 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (66 per 100 farms)

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 Cook 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, Cook County received about $2.13 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most IL counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #2,251 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (10,281 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 61).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
5,087,072
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$80,547
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
13.2%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
4.4%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$123/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$18,054/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
118
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
7,110
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Cook County receive?

Cook County recipients received about $21,941 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 Cook County?

In Cook 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.

How is the FarmGrant Underserved Score calculated?

The Underserved Score (0–100; 61 for Cook County — Moderately Underserved) 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 Illinois

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Cook 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.