$3.0M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)
Underserved Score: 38/100
$3.0M in USDA farm subsidies to Pondera County recipients (2024).
Sum of payments to 368 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.
$9.7M 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 | Northside Farm Inc | $172,380 |
| 2 | Bills Ranch Co | $100,596 |
| 3 | T.D. | $94,784 |
| 4 | A.D. | $93,941 |
| 5 | B.C.C. | $88,993 |
| 6 | K.C. | $78,604 |
| 7 | V.G.K. | $68,596 |
| 8 | West Side Farm Inc | $68,584 |
| 9 | N.M.C. | $68,097 |
| 10 | Aa Ranch LLC | $50,000 |
Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above.
Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.
The shape of farming in Pondera County is distinctive: farms here are large on average — about 1,716 acres apiece across roughly 435 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census). Past farm size, about 19% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant.
Pondera County has roughly 435 farms working about 746,528 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~1,716 acres per farm.
In Pondera County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $69/acre and farmland is valued near $1,751/acre (USDA NASS).
Pondera County is predominantly wheat country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are wheat (~60% of harvested cropland) and hay (~7% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).
Cattle run at roughly 3 head per 100 farmland acres (about 14,218 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Recorded payments in Pondera County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 18% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 368 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, Pondera County's Underserved Score (38/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~61/100), ranking above 0 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).
As a heavily row-crop county, Pondera 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.
Your local USDA service center is where farms in Pondera 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.
This county shows an elevated insured loss history. These disaster and risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.
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, Pondera County received about $4.08 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in MT for USDA $/acre. That ranks #1,720 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.
2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (746,528 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 38).
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Pondera County recipients received about $3.0M 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 wheat-growing county, Pondera 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; 38 for Pondera 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.
Compare USDA subsidy data and Underserved Scores for nearby Montana counties.
Farms in Pondera 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.