FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Luna County, New Mexico

$3.4M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 41/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Luna County

$3.4M in USDA farm subsidies to Luna County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 72 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Disaster Payments $3.4M

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

$5.0M 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 Alamo Ranch Company $263,573
2 Johnson Ranches LLC $231,337
3 J.L.B. $204,607
4 Smyer Family Corporation $195,870
5 J.B.N. $185,103
6 J.N. $153,610
7 Gunter Enterprises Limited Partnership $133,581
8 Z.S.C. $129,040
9 He Bar Hay LLC $118,989
10 Hyatt & Hyatt LLC $116,620

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

About Farming in Luna County

The economic backdrop frames farming in Luna County: about 26% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant. On a separate note, farms here are large on average — about 3,354 acres apiece across roughly 213 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Luna County has roughly 213 farms working about 714,436 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~3,354 acres per farm.

In Luna County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $232/acre and farmland is valued near $796/acre (USDA NASS).

Luna County is predominantly orchards & fruit country — a mixed county. Its leading harvested crops are orchards & fruit (~8% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 5 head per 100 farmland acres (about 25,660 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Luna County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 32% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 72 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby New Mexico counties listed below, Luna County's Underserved Score (41/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~57/100), ranking above 1 of 5 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

Local signals from public data: Receives near or above the NM-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Luna County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Luna 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
Luna County Farm Service Agency
405 E Florida St, Deming, NM
(575) 546-9291
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Truth Or Consequences Service Center
2101 S Broadway St, Truth Or Consequences, NM
(575) 894-2212

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

41 out of 100
Near State Average
#24 of 31 most underserved in New Mexico (26th pctile)
35th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 4.4/25
Producer Priority? 20.4/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 12.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the NM-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Elevated beginning-producer presence (66 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (74 per 100 farms)
  • High veteran population (8.6%)
  • Lower insured-policy density than typical (0.5 policies/farm).

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 Luna 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 →
Crop insurance & NAP coverage

This county shows lower-than-typical crop-insurance participation. These risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.

Federal Crop Insurance →
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, Luna County received about $4.71 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in NM for USDA $/acre. That ranks #1,571 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (714,436 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 41).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
25,316
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$38,641
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
26.4%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
10.0%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$232/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$796/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
109
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
1,072,081
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Luna County receive?

Luna County recipients received about $3.4M 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 Luna County?

In Luna County — where orchards & fruit 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; 41 for Luna 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 New Mexico

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Luna 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.