$1.1M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)
Underserved Score: 18/100
$1.1M in USDA farm subsidies to Van Buren County recipients (2024).
Sum of payments to 147 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.
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.
$6.7M 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.
| # | Recipient | 2024 Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meachum Family Farms LLC | $185,459 |
| 2 | Jeff Scherer Farms LLC | $134,432 |
| 3 | A.R. | $59,662 |
| 4 | M.A.B.F. | $54,094 |
| 5 | True Blue Farms LLC | $39,752 |
| 6 | Kolberg Farms LLC | $38,682 |
| 7 | E.J.K. | $26,693 |
| 8 | T.A.K. | $24,776 |
| 9 | Sauer Orchards LLC | $21,867 |
| 10 | Thomas Blueberries Inc | $21,847 |
Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above.
Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.
Van Buren County reads differently from many of its peers on support — by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Van Buren County is among the better-supported counties in Michigan (Underserved Score 18/100). By contrast, this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 9 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm.
Van Buren County has roughly 838 farms working about 131,486 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~157 acres per farm.
In Van Buren County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $294/acre and farmland is valued near $6,341/acre (USDA NASS).
Van Buren County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~38% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~24% of harvested cropland), and orchards & fruit (~7% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).
Cattle run at roughly 9 head per 100 farmland acres (about 8,606 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Recorded payments in Van Buren County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 41% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 147 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.
Among the nearby Michigan counties listed below, Van Buren County's Underserved Score (18/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~51/100), ranking above 0 of 5 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).
With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Van Buren 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 near or above the MI-average USDA $/acre.; Elevated beginning-producer presence (55 per 100 farms).
Your local USDA service center is where farms in Van Buren County apply for FSA and NRCS programs and get free, in-person help — they handle program sign-ups, conservation plans, and loan applications.
Source: USDA Service Center locator (Farmers.gov). Office details can change — confirm current hours and appointments via farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Historically, Van Buren County received about $8.68 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in MI for USDA $/acre. That ranks #936 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.
2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (131,486 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 18).
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Van Buren County recipients received about $1.1M 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.
As a mainly corn-growing county, Van Buren 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.
The Underserved Score (0–100; 18 for Van Buren 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.
Compare USDA subsidy data and Underserved Scores for nearby Michigan counties.
Farms in Van Buren 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.
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.