FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Wheatland County, Montana

$763,961 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 54/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Wheatland County

$763,961 in USDA farm subsidies to Wheatland County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 122 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $549,780
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $210,936
Dairy Programs $3,251

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

$2.4M 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 Springwater Colony Inc $108,572
2 Miller Ranch $97,058
3 Bar Nothing Ranch Partnership $72,685
4 Rocking Dot Cattle LLC $44,021
5 T.N.G. $40,525
6 J.S. $40,114
7 N.L.L. $38,025
8 D.A.R. $34,244
9 D.G.D. $17,570
10 Robert E Lee Ranch Co $14,513

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

About Farming in Wheatland County

The shape of farming in Wheatland County is distinctive: farms here are large on average — about 5,695 acres apiece across roughly 119 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census). Past farm size, 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.

Wheatland County has roughly 119 farms working about 677,703 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~5,695 acres per farm.

In Wheatland County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $18/acre and farmland is valued near $1,197/acre (USDA NASS).

Wheatland County is predominantly hay country — a forage county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~31% of harvested cropland) and wheat (~30% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 4 head per 100 farmland acres (about 19,425 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Wheatland County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 47% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 122 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, Wheatland County's Underserved Score (54/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~49/100), 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 Wheatland 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-MT-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Wheatland County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Wheatland 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
Wheatland County Farm Service Agency
809 2ND Ave Nw, Harlowton, MT
(406) 632-5622
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Harlowton Field Office
809 2ND Ave Nw, Harlowton, 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

54 out of 100
Moderately Underserved
#28 of 55 most underserved in Montana (51st pctile)
60th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 17.2/25
Producer Priority? 17.5/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 2.7/25
What drives this score
  • Receives below-MT-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Elevated women-producer presence (71 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (10.6%)

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 Wheatland 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 veteran producers

This county has a notable veteran-producer population. These USDA programs carry veteran priority — 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, Wheatland County received about $1.13 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is near the state average for USDA $/acre. That ranks #2,583 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (677,703 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 Wheatland County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
2,057
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$47,545
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
18.5%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
4.0%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$18/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$1,197/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
136
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
115,390
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Wheatland County receive?

Wheatland County recipients received about $763,961 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 Wheatland County?

In Wheatland County — where hay leads the harvested cropland — farmers may be eligible for conservation (CRP, EQIP), commodity support (ARC/PLC), disaster assistance, federal crop insurance, 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 Wheatland 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 Montana

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Wheatland 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.