$9.1M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)
Underserved Score: 30/100
$9.1M in USDA farm subsidies to Menard County recipients (2025).
Sum of payments to 581 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2025 single year.
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, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.
| # | Recipient | 2025 Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wankel Farms Partnership | $435,735 |
| 2 | R & D Farms Inc | $239,471 |
| 3 | G.A.S. | $234,927 |
| 4 | Entwistle Family Farms Gp | $204,474 |
| 5 | J.W. | $193,595 |
| 6 | J.D.S.H. | $189,656 |
| 7 | Holliday Farms | $183,179 |
| 8 | D.T. | $178,457 |
| 9 | Irish Groves Farms Partnership | $154,740 |
| 10 | R.T. | $148,908 |
Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2025). These named payments sum toward the headline total above.
Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.
Menard County carries a notable veteran presence — veterans make up about 11% of the adult population (USDA ERS) — a community where veteran-and-beginning-farmer USDA programs may be especially worth a look. Alongside that, farmland is valued near $9,257 an acre (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), among the higher-value cropland in the country.
Menard County has roughly 356 farms working about 155,670 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~437 acres per farm.
In Menard County, irrigated cropland rents for roughly $256/acre and farmland is valued near $9,257/acre (USDA NASS).
Menard County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~50% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~48% of harvested cropland), and hay (~1% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).
Cattle run at roughly 2 head per 100 farmland acres (about 1,607 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Recorded payments in Menard County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 14% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 581 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, Menard County's Underserved Score (30/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~35/100), ranking above 3 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).
As a heavily row-crop county, Menard 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.; Farming-dependent county economy.
Your local USDA service center is where farms in Menard 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 notable veteran-producer population. These USDA programs carry veteran priority — if that's you, they're worth a look.
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, Menard County received about $58.16 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in IL for USDA $/acre. That ranks #457 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.
2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (155,670 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 30).
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Menard County recipients received about $9.1M 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.
As a mainly corn-growing county, Menard 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.
The Underserved Score (0–100; 30 for Menard 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.
Compare USDA subsidy data and Underserved Scores for nearby Illinois counties.
Farms in Menard 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 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.