FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Santa Clara County, California

$1.7M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 51/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Santa Clara County

$1.7M in USDA farm subsidies to Santa Clara County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 77 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2025 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2025)

Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance (MASC, one-time) $817,621
Disaster Payments $611,596
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $225,237

Selected USDA programs recorded in this county for 2025, each shown as its own figure. This is not a breakdown of the headline total above and the rows are not meant to be added up: the list is not exhaustive, and where one program sits inside another the same dollars appear on two lines, so a total of these rows can come out higher than the headline. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2025. SDRP is part of the Disaster Payments figure, not additional to it. Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2025 Total
1 Farm Services Agency ** $301,499
2 West Coast Farms LLC $150,359
3 Spade & Plow Organics LLC $80,966
4 San Felipe Cattle Co LLC $76,825
5 Bouquets Of Nature Inc. $75,956
6 Borello Farms Inc $70,291
7 M.T.C.L. $62,257
8 Ferguson Farm LLC $57,266
9 H.M.L. $52,356
10 Great Farm Inc. $44,682

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2025). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in Santa Clara County

Land tells the story in Santa Clara County: farmland is valued near $13,303 an acre (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), among the higher-value cropland in the country. Add to that, by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Santa Clara County sits toward the less-supported end of California counties (Underserved Score 51/100) — often a marker of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land rather than unclaimed funding.

Santa Clara County has roughly 825 farms working about 245,191 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~297 acres per farm.

In Santa Clara County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $823/acre and farmland is valued near $13,303/acre (USDA NASS).

Santa Clara County is predominantly vegetables country — a specialty county. Its leading harvested crops are vegetables (~82% of harvested cropland), orchards & fruit (~15% of harvested cropland), and hay (~12% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 5 head per 100 farmland acres (about 6,680 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Santa Clara County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 40% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 77 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby California counties listed below, Santa Clara County's Underserved Score (51/100) is close to the local average (~50/100), ranking above 3 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

Local signals from public data: Receives below-CA-average USDA $/acre.; Lower insured-policy density than typical (0.1 policies/farm)..

Local USDA Offices for Santa Clara County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Santa Clara 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
San Benito County Farm Service Agency
2337 Technology Pkwy Ste C, Hollister, CA
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Hollister Service Center
2337 Technology Pkwy Ste C, Hollister, CA
(831) 902-2348

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

51 out of 100
Moderately Underserved
#26 of 55 most underserved in California (55th pctile)
54th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 16.7/25
Producer Priority? 0.1/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 17.7/25
What drives this score
  • Receives below-CA-average USDA $/acre.
  • Lower insured-policy density than typical (0.1 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 Santa Clara 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) →
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 →NAP (Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance) →
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, Santa Clara County received about $7.06 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most CA counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #2,337 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (245,191 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 51).

See how Santa Clara County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
1,877,592
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$154,573
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
7.6%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.5%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$823/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$13,303/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
77
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
115,757
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Santa Clara County receive?

Santa Clara County recipients received about $1.7M in USDA farm subsidies in 2025, 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 Santa Clara County?

In Santa Clara County — where vegetables 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; 51 for Santa Clara 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 California

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Santa Clara 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 August 27, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2025 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.