FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Butler County, Missouri

$732,363 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 71/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Butler County

$732,363 in USDA farm subsidies to Butler County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 316 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $660,201
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $63,259
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $8,897

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

$5.1M 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 A.T.B. $52,169
2 K.D.A. $29,646
3 P.J.S. $22,858
4 J.T.B. $18,606
5 Third Day Farms LLC $18,008
6 E.A. $16,798
7 Black River Ranch Management LLC $15,172
8 M.S.S. $15,149
9 C.E.H. $11,555
10 R.L.T. $9,763

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

About Farming in Butler County

On the support axis, Butler County leans underserved: by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Butler County sits toward the less-supported end of Missouri counties (Underserved Score 71/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding. Set against that, veterans make up about 11% of the adult population (USDA ERS) — a community where veteran-and-beginning-farmer USDA programs may be especially worth a look.

Butler County has roughly 451 farms working about 250,359 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~555 acres per farm.

In Butler County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $226/acre and farmland is valued near $5,085/acre (USDA NASS).

Butler County is predominantly soybeans country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are soybeans (~56% of harvested cropland), rice (~25% of harvested cropland), and corn (~14% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 2 head per 100 farmland acres (about 3,079 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Butler County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 19% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 316 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Missouri counties listed below, Butler County's Underserved Score (71/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~47/100), ranking above 6 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Butler 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 less USDA $/acre than most MO counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Butler County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Butler 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
Butler County Farm Service Agency
4327 Highway 67 N, Poplar Bluff, MO
(573) 785-8416
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Poplar Bluff Service Center
4327 Highway 67 N, Poplar Bluff, MO

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

71 out of 100
Underserved
#16 of 111 most underserved in Missouri (86th pctile)
87th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 19.6/25
Producer Priority? 17.8/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 14.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most MO counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Above-average beginning producers (49 per 100 farms)
  • Above-average women producers (57 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (10.7%)
  • Elevated insured loss ratio (4.58) — higher recorded crop-loss claims

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 Butler 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, Butler County received about $2.93 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most MO counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #2,009 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (250,359 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 71).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
41,948
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$48,059
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
18.6%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
4.4%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$226/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$5,085/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
1,102
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
166,965
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Butler County receive?

Butler County recipients received about $732,363 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 Butler County?

As a mainly soybeans-growing county, Butler 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; 71 for Butler 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 Missouri

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Butler 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.