FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Washington County, Wisconsin

$270,638 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2024)

Underserved Score: 57/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Washington County

$270,638 in USDA farm subsidies to Washington County recipients (2024).

Sum of payments to 106 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2024 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2024)

Dairy Programs $188,562
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $37,644
Disaster Payments $15,300

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

$1.4M 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 Knollwood Dairy LLC $16,342
2 Cedar Lawn Farm LLC $13,747
3 Ag Cropping Services LLC $13,443
4 Thull Farms LLC $9,082
5 Dornacker Prairie Acres LLC $8,408
6 Klink Dairy LLC $8,408
7 Gehring View Farms LLC $8,408
8 S.J.E. $8,408
9 Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Inc $8,097
10 Dean Groth Farms LLC $6,326

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

About Farming in Washington County

Herds, not just rows, define Washington County: this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 29 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm. Beyond the herds, by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Washington County sits toward the less-supported end of Wisconsin counties (Underserved Score 57/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding.

Washington County has roughly 580 farms working about 118,210 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~204 acres per farm.

In Washington County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $132/acre and farmland is valued near $9,471/acre (USDA NASS).

Washington County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~30% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~30% of harvested cropland), and hay (~12% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 29 head per 100 farmland acres (about 16,734 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Washington County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 23% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 106 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2024). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Wisconsin counties listed below, Washington County's Underserved Score (57/100) is close to the local average (~60/100), 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 Washington 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 less USDA $/acre than most WI counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Elevated beginning-producer presence (63 per 100 farms).

Local USDA Offices for Washington County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Washington 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
Washington County Farm Service Agency
333 E Washington St, West Bend, WI
(262) 335-4860
Natural Resources Conservation Service
West Bend Service Center
333 E Washington St, West Bend, WI
(262) 335-4860

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

57 out of 100
Moderately Underserved
#19 of 69 most underserved in Wisconsin (74th pctile)
67th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 19.8/25
Producer Priority? 6.1/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 12.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most WI counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Elevated beginning-producer presence (63 per 100 farms)
  • Elevated women-producer presence (63 per 100 farms)
  • Notable veteran population (7.6%)
  • Above-median insured loss ratio (2.75).

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 Washington 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 →
Disaster & loss-protection programs

This county shows an elevated insured loss history. These disaster and risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.

LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program) →
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, Washington County received about $2.29 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most WI counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #2,192 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2024 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (118,210 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 57).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
138,168
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$93,830
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
6.0%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
2.6%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$132/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$9,471/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
443
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
39,847
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Washington County receive?

Washington County recipients received about $270,638 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 Washington County?

As a mainly corn-growing county, Washington 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; 57 for Washington 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 Wisconsin

Could your farm benefit?

Farms in Washington 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.