FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Elk County, Kansas

$982,881 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 74/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Elk County

$982,881 in USDA farm subsidies to Elk County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 219 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $885,337
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $60,826
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $36,708

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

$1.9M 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 Janell R Fugitt Trust No 2 $77,416
2 K.K.K. $61,903
3 David L Ellison & Amelia K Roeder Joint Rvoc Trust $58,284
4 Shamrock Ventures LLC $54,694
5 J.P.M. $43,513
6 Steven W Dewey Trust 2 $41,269
7 Mccurry Angus Ranch Inc $39,181
8 Jd Perkins Farms LLC $38,568
9 Black Land & Cattle Co Inc $37,620
10 Rafter S Ranch $27,459

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

About Farming in Elk County

Where Elk County really stands out is support intensity — by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Elk County sits toward the less-supported end of Kansas counties (Underserved Score 74/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding. By contrast, this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 17 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm.

Elk County has roughly 255 farms working about 246,966 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~968 acres per farm.

In Elk County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $52/acre and farmland is valued near $2,064/acre (USDA NASS).

Elk County is predominantly hay country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~31% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~30% of harvested cropland), and corn (~15% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 17 head per 100 farmland acres (about 14,613 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Elk County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 30% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 219 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Kansas counties listed below, Elk County's Underserved Score (74/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~44/100), ranking above 6 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Elk 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 KS counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Elk County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Elk 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
Greenwood-Elk County Farm Service Agency
1819 E River St, Eureka, KS
(620) 583-5544
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Howard Service Center
131 N Wabash, Howard, KS

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

74 out of 100
Underserved
#2 of 105 most underserved in Kansas (99th pctile)
90th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 21.3/25
Producer Priority? 23.0/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 8.6/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most KS counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Farming-dependent county economy
  • Above-average beginning producers (45 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (61 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (8.4%)
  • Above-median insured loss ratio (2.55).

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 Elk 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, Elk County received about $3.98 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most KS counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #1,753 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (246,966 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 74).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
2,467
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$48,121
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
17.1%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
2.5%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$52/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$2,064/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
378
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
71,489
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Elk County receive?

Elk County recipients received about $982,881 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 Elk County?

As a mainly hay-growing county, Elk 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; 74 for Elk County — 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 Kansas

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Elk 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.