FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Otter Tail County, Minnesota

$3.5M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 54/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Otter Tail County

$3.5M in USDA farm subsidies to Otter Tail County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 1,114 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $2.3M
Disaster Payments $933,929
Dairy Programs $165,947
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $6,954

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

$16.9M 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 Ct Farms LLC $125,011
2 J.B. $125,000
3 F.B. $113,884
4 Dan's Honey Co $111,498
5 P.G.M. $52,977
6 G.G. $49,602
7 R.Q. $37,512
8 B.L.B. $35,817
9 Norman E Nelson Revocable Trust $33,945
10 T.C.F. $32,877

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

About Farming in Otter Tail County

On the support axis, Otter Tail County leans underserved: by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Otter Tail County sits toward the less-supported end of Minnesota counties (Underserved Score 54/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding. Set against that, veterans make up about 9% of the adult population (USDA ERS) — a community where veteran-and-beginning-farmer USDA programs may be especially worth a look.

Otter Tail County has roughly 2,497 farms working about 770,922 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~309 acres per farm.

In Otter Tail County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $195/acre and farmland is valued near $3,840/acre (USDA NASS).

Otter Tail County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~37% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~34% of harvested cropland), and hay (~13% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 9 head per 100 farmland acres (about 29,256 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Otter Tail County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 15% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 1,114 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Minnesota counties listed below, Otter Tail County's Underserved Score (54/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~44/100), ranking above 4 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Otter Tail 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 below-MN-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Otter Tail County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Otter Tail 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
West Otter Tail County Farm Service Agency
506 Western Ave N, Fergus Falls, MN
(218) 739-4694
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Fergus Falls Service Center
506 Western Ave N, Fergus Falls, MN
(218) 739-4694

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

54 out of 100
Moderately Underserved
#23 of 84 most underserved in Minnesota (74th pctile)
59th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 17.7/25
Producer Priority? 12.5/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 6.2/25
What drives this score
  • Receives below-MN-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Above-average beginning producers (41 per 100 farms)
  • Above-average women producers (54 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (8.6%)

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 Otter Tail 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, Otter Tail County received about $4.56 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most MN counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #1,611 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (770,922 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 54).

See how Otter Tail County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
60,626
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$69,107
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
10.6%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.3%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$195/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$3,840/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
3,982
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
428,087
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Otter Tail County receive?

Otter Tail County recipients received about $3.5M 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 Otter Tail County?

As a mainly corn-growing county, Otter Tail 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; 54 for Otter Tail 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 Minnesota

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Otter Tail 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.