Track the programs that pay out in your county.
Texas recorded $3.1B in USDA farm program payments and federal crop insurance premium subsidies (2025). In 2025, 37,962 recipients collected payments.
Totals for 2025 include one-time American Relief Act, 2025 programs (ECAP, SDRP and MASC) that are not expected to recur at this level, which is why 2025 runs well above prior years. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database (farm.ewg.org), from USDA Farm Service Agency records obtained under FOIA plus USDA Risk Management Agency crop insurance data. Totals combine commodity, disaster, and conservation payments with federal crop insurance premium subsidies. Nationally, roughly a quarter to a third of this dataset's total is premium subsidy, which is paid to insurance companies to lower what farmers pay for coverage rather than paid to farmers as income (share estimated from EWG's published national category totals for 2025). For comparison, USDA's Economic Research Service reported about $30.5 billion in “direct government payments” for 2025, a smaller figure because ERS excludes crop insurance entirely.
Drought conditions affect LFP eligibility, crop insurance claims, and emergency program access.
What NRCS pays for conservation practices through EQIP in Texas.
Texas producers may qualify for ARC-CO/PLC crop protection, EQIP conservation cost-share, LFP drought disaster payments, federal crop insurance, CRP rental payments, FSA loans, and emergency programs like ELAP and ECP.
Texas frequently qualifies for Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) payments when counties reach D2 or worse drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Check droughtmonitor.unl.edu for your county's current status.
Contact your local NRCS office to submit an NRCS-CPA-1200 application. Texas typically has fall application batching periods. Beginning farmers may qualify for up to 90% cost-share.
Texas farmers may apply for FSA Direct Operating Loans (up to $400,000), Microloans (up to $50,000), and Farm Ownership Loans (up to $600,000 direct). Beginning farmers and veterans receive priority consideration.
How-to-Apply Guides
Programs for Historically Underserved Farmers
Specialized Resources