$158,186 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)
Underserved Score: 56/100
$158,186 in USDA farm subsidies to Gaston County recipients (2024).
Sum of payments to 42 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.
$228,787 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 | M.L.K.J. | $19,629 |
| 2 | Eaker Dairy Inc | $16,623 |
| 3 | R.D.P.J. | $14,329 |
| 4 | R.E.H. | $11,222 |
| 5 | D.C.S. | $9,596 |
| 6 | R.S.G. | $8,542 |
| 7 | D.K.F. | $8,447 |
| 8 | G.R.B.I. | $6,336 |
| 9 | G.L.R.J. | $5,969 |
| 10 | Pecan Ridge Farm Inc | $5,401 |
Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2024). These named payments sum toward the headline total above.
Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.
Unlike its row-crop neighbors, Gaston County leans on livestock — this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 20 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm. Past the livestock picture, farms here are small on average — about 89 acres apiece across roughly 412 operations (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Gaston County has roughly 412 farms working about 36,859 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~89 acres per farm.
In Gaston County, farmland is valued near $8,015/acre (USDA NASS).
Gaston County is predominantly hay country — a forage county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~50% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~33% of harvested cropland), and corn (~6% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).
Cattle run at roughly 20 head per 100 farmland acres (about 4,861 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Recorded payments in Gaston County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 45% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 42 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.
Among the nearby North Carolina counties listed below, Gaston County's Underserved Score (56/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~43/100), ranking above 3 of 5 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).
With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Gaston 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-NC-average USDA $/acre.; Elevated beginning-producer presence (57 per 100 farms).
Your local USDA service center is where farms in Gaston 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 lower-than-typical crop-insurance participation. These 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, Gaston County received about $4.29 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most NC counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #1,678 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.
2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (36,859 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 56).
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Gaston County recipients received about $158,186 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.
With grazing and forage prominent in Gaston County, conservation and working-lands programs (EQIP, CSP, grassland CRP) and disaster/livestock assistance may be especially relevant, alongside 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.
The Underserved Score (0–100; 56 for Gaston 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.
Compare USDA subsidy data and Underserved Scores for nearby North Carolina counties.
Farms in Gaston 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.