FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Powell County, Kentucky

$92,781 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 66/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Powell County

$92,781 in USDA farm subsidies to Powell County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 12 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) $84,873
Disaster Payments $7,894
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $6,588
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $12

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.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2025 Total
1 J.P.B. $33,531
2 J.T. $15,048
3 T.H. $12,947
4 D.A.C. $6,290
5 Triple C Farms Inc $6,131
6 D.T.C. $6,020
7 Double L Farms LLC $5,959
8 R.D.T. $4,326
9 J.W.B. $1,306
10 H.B.F.I. $1,211

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

About Farming in Powell County

Follow the money in Powell County and a pattern emerges: recorded USDA payments here are concentrated — the top five recipients account for roughly 80% of the county's recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2025). It also helps to know that about 22% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant.

Powell County has roughly 165 farms working about 26,880 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~163 acres per farm.

In Powell County, farmland is valued near $3,262/acre (USDA NASS).

Powell County is predominantly soybeans country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are soybeans (~41% of harvested cropland), hay (~31% of harvested cropland), and corn (~23% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 9 head per 100 farmland acres (about 1,332 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Powell County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 80% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 12 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Kentucky counties listed below, Powell County's Underserved Score (66/100) is higher (less USDA support per acre) than the local average (~60/100), ranking above 4 of 4 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

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

Local USDA Offices for Powell County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Powell 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
Clark County Farm Service Agency
667 Tech Dr, Winchester, KY
(859) 745-2828
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Mount Sterling Service Center
509 Willin Way, Mount Sterling, KY
(859) 697-2021

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

66 out of 100
Underserved
#17 of 103 most underserved in Kentucky (84th pctile)
79th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 17.8/25
Producer Priority? 11.2/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 19.6/25
What drives this score
  • Receives below-KY-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Notable veteran population (6.4%)
  • Above-median insured loss ratio (2.67).
  • Lower insured-policy density than typical (0.2 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 Powell 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 →
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 →
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, Powell County received about $3.45 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is less USDA $/acre than most KY counties — often a sign of pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding. That ranks #2,631 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (26,880 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 66).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
12,972
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$46,014
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
22.1%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
4.4%
(USDA ERS)
Land Value
$3,262/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
40
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
2,607
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Powell County receive?

Powell County recipients received about $92,781 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 Powell County?

As a mainly soybeans-growing county, Powell 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; 66 for Powell County — 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 Kentucky

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Powell 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.