FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Kankakee County, Illinois

$16.0M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 23/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Kankakee County

$16.0M in USDA farm subsidies to Kankakee County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 1,145 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2025 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2025)

Emergency Commodity Assistance (ECAP, one-time) $11.9M
Disaster Payments $2.0M
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $2.0M
Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance (MASC, one-time) $1.0M
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $970,916
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $56,974

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. Emergency Commodity Assistance, 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 Degroot Veg Farms $509,069
2 Dorn Farms $300,375
3 J.G. $253,562
4 Fecke Farms Inc $195,934
5 Deyoung Farms $194,181
6 H & E Sod Nursery Inc $184,583
7 M.K.J. $167,936
8 V.V.F. $166,933
9 White Sands Farms $150,327
10 C.S.A. $140,784

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

About Farming in Kankakee County

In Kankakee County, the striking pattern is how widely support is shared: recorded USDA payments here are broadly spread rather than concentrated — the top five recipients account for only about 9% of recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2025). It also helps to know that by USDA dollars per farmland acre, Kankakee County is among the better-supported counties in Illinois (Underserved Score 23/100).

Kankakee County has roughly 738 farms working about 322,007 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~436 acres per farm.

In Kankakee County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $289/acre and farmland is valued near $6,734/acre (USDA NASS).

Kankakee County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~55% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~41% of harvested cropland), and vegetables (~1% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 1 head per 100 farmland acres (about 918 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Kankakee County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 9% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 1,145 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Illinois counties listed below, Kankakee County's Underserved Score (23/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~51/100), ranking above 2 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Kankakee County farms growing covered commodities may be eligible for commodity-support programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and for federal crop insurance — eligibility depends on your crops and base acres, so check with your FSA office.

Local signals from public data: Receives near or above the IL-average USDA $/acre.; Notable veteran population (7.5%).

Local USDA Offices for Kankakee County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Kankakee 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
Kankakee County Farm Service Agency
685 Larry Power Rd, Bourbonnais, IL
(815) 937-8940
Natural Resources Conservation Service
New Lenox Service Center
1201 Gougar Rd, New Lenox, IL

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

23 out of 100
Well-Served (high USDA $/acre vs. peers)
#82 of 102 most underserved in Illinois (21st pctile)
8th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 9.2/25
Producer Priority? 3.8/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 1.4/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the IL-average USDA $/acre.
  • Notable veteran population (7.5%)

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 Kankakee 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, Kankakee County received about $49.54 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in IL for USDA $/acre. That ranks #654 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (322,007 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 23).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
105,940
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$68,451
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
11.5%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
5.8%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$289/ac
(USDA NASS, irrig.)
Land Value
$6,734/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
2,337
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
295,868
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Kankakee County receive?

Kankakee County recipients received about $16.0M 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 Kankakee County?

As a mainly corn-growing county, Kankakee 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; 23 for Kankakee County — Well-Served (high USDA $/acre vs. peers)) 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 Illinois

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Kankakee 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.