FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Liberty County, Montana

$3.2M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 36/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Liberty County

$3.2M in USDA farm subsidies to Liberty County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 351 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $2.7M
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $369,402
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $196,930
Dairy Programs $8,409

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

$13.7M 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.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2024 Total
1 S&w Ag, LLC $170,638
2 Riverview Colony Inc $138,797
3 Meissner Ranches 2 Inc $128,031
4 Grammar Farms Inc $92,130
5 Stony Creek Ranch Corporation $90,282
6 Sage Creek Colony Inc $77,139
7 Basin Farm Inc $76,471
8 R & B Farms $67,915
9 J.R.W. $67,229
10 E K S Inc $64,478

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

About Farming in Liberty County

The shape of farming in Liberty County is distinctive: farms here are large on average — about 4,191 acres apiece across roughly 218 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census). Past farm size, by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Liberty County is among the better-supported counties in Montana (Underserved Score 36/100).

Liberty County has roughly 218 farms working about 913,606 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~4,191 acres per farm.

In Liberty County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $29/acre and farmland is valued near $1,237/acre (USDA NASS).

Liberty County is predominantly wheat country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are wheat (~64% of harvested cropland) and hay (~2% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 1 head per 100 farmland acres (about 5,168 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Liberty County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 19% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 351 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Montana counties listed below, Liberty County's Underserved Score (36/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~54/100), ranking above 1 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Liberty 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 near or above the MT-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Liberty County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Liberty 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
Liberty County Farm Service Agency
18 Main St, Chester, MT
(406) 759-5128
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Chester Field Office
18 Main St, Chester, MT

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

36 out of 100
Near State Average
#48 of 55 most underserved in Montana (15th pctile)
26th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 6.5/25
Producer Priority? 20.3/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 3.3/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the MT-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Farming-dependent county economy
  • Above-average beginning producers (38 per 100 farms)
  • Above-average women producers (48 per 100 farms)
  • Notable veteran population (7.7%)

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 Liberty 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, Liberty County received about $3.55 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in MT for USDA $/acre. That ranks #1,851 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (913,606 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 36).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
1,974
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$60,846
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
16.5%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
2.5%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$29/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$1,237/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
2,363
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
449,631
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Liberty County receive?

Liberty County recipients received about $3.2M 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 Liberty County?

As a mainly wheat-growing county, Liberty 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; 36 for Liberty County — Near State Average) 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 Montana

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Liberty 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.