$1.2M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)
Underserved Score: 46/100
$1.2M in USDA farm subsidies to Rensselaer County recipients (2025).
Sum of payments to 60 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, Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.
| # | Recipient | 2025 Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elhannon Wholesale Nursery Inc | $391,795 |
| 2 | Kinderhook Creek Farm Enterprises LLC | $98,191 |
| 3 | Aj Farms Produce & Grain LLC | $98,103 |
| 4 | Wertman Farms | $56,904 |
| 5 | Swartz Dairy And Produce LLC | $56,678 |
| 6 | Copses Farms LLC | $54,803 |
| 7 | Hewitt Farms Inc | $53,138 |
| 8 | Herrington Farms, Inc | $39,403 |
| 9 | D.N.D. | $37,400 |
| 10 | Denison Farm LLC | $30,535 |
Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2025). These named payments sum toward the headline total above.
Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.
Follow the money in Rensselaer County and a pattern emerges: recorded USDA payments here are concentrated — the top five recipients account for roughly 60% of the county's recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2025). It also helps to know that this is grazing country — cattle run at roughly 14 head per 100 farmland acres (USDA NASS, 2022 Census), well above the row-crop norm.
Rensselaer County has roughly 483 farms working about 72,542 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~150 acres per farm.
In Rensselaer County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $64/acre and farmland is valued near $4,449/acre (USDA NASS).
Rensselaer County is predominantly hay country — a forage county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~42% of harvested cropland), corn (~10% of harvested cropland), and soybeans (~5% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).
Cattle run at roughly 14 head per 100 farmland acres (about 5,785 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).
Recorded payments in Rensselaer County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 60% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 60 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.
Among the nearby New York counties listed below, Rensselaer County's Underserved Score (46/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~70/100), ranking above 0 of 2 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).
With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Rensselaer 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 near or above the NY-average USDA $/acre.; Notable veteran population (6.9%).
Your local USDA service center is where farms in Rensselaer 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.
This county shows lower-than-typical crop-insurance participation. These risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.
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, Rensselaer County received about $16.18 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in NY for USDA $/acre. That ranks #1,775 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.
2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (72,542 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 46).
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Rensselaer County recipients received about $1.2M 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.
With grazing and forage prominent in Rensselaer County, conservation and working-lands programs (EQIP, CSP, grassland CRP) and disaster/livestock assistance may be especially relevant, alongside 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.
The Underserved Score (0–100; 46 for Rensselaer 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.
Compare USDA subsidy data and Underserved Scores for nearby New York counties.
Farms in Rensselaer 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.