FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Mahaska County, Iowa

$15.6M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 45/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Mahaska County

$15.6M in USDA farm subsidies to Mahaska County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 1,109 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) $8.8M
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $4.9M
Disaster Payments $1.8M
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $1.5M
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $127,891
Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance (MASC, one-time) $11,267

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 Anderson Row Crop Farms LLC $163,396
2 Conrad Brothers $152,523
3 Augustine & Sons Inc $152,134
4 River Valley Farms Partnership $142,846
5 M.N. $123,410
6 J.N. $121,400
7 J.D. $111,312
8 Dbgl Farms Inc $98,015
9 New Sharon-stout Farms LLC $96,580
10 B.J.B. $96,558

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

About Farming in Mahaska County

In Mahaska 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 5% of recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2025). It also helps to know that this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 8 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm.

Mahaska County has roughly 881 farms working about 304,832 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~346 acres per farm.

In Mahaska County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $242/acre and farmland is valued near $7,959/acre (USDA NASS).

Mahaska County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~53% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~43% of harvested cropland), and hay (~3% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 8 head per 100 farmland acres (about 7,996 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Mahaska County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 5% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 1,109 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Iowa counties listed below, Mahaska County's Underserved Score (45/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~56/100), ranking above 1 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Mahaska 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-IA-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Mahaska County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Mahaska 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
Mahaska County Farm Service Agency
2503 Todd St, Oskaloosa, IA
(641) 673-3476
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Oskaloosa Service Center
2503 Todd St, Oskaloosa, IA
(641) 673-3476

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

45 out of 100
Near State Average
#45 of 99 most underserved in Iowa (56th pctile)
45th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 15.5/25
Producer Priority? 10.8/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 4.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives below-IA-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Notable veteran population (6.2%)

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 Mahaska 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, Mahaska County received about $51.13 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most IA counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #613 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (304,832 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 45).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
21,874
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$71,332
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
11.7%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
2.6%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$242/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$7,959/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
2,018
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
230,894
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Mahaska County receive?

Mahaska County recipients received about $15.6M 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 Mahaska County?

As a mainly corn-growing county, Mahaska 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; 45 for Mahaska County — Near State Average) 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 Iowa

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Mahaska 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.