Ohio's Farm Economy and USDA Payment Trends
Ohio is a significant corn, soybean, and dairy state — but its farm structure and geography create a distinct federal payment profile.
September 7, 2026
Articles & Guides
The Emergency Livestock Assistance Program: When Disasters Strike
ELAP fills gaps in livestock disaster coverage that LFP and LIP don't address. Here's what it covers and when it pays.
September 2, 2026
How to Compare Subsidy Data Across Fiscal Years
Year-over-year comparisons of USDA payment data are useful but require understanding what drives changes. Here's how to interpret the trends.
August 28, 2026
Indiana Soybean Farmers: Understanding Federal Support
Indiana is one of the nation's top soybean states. Here's how federal commodity programs support its soybean producers and what the payment data shows.
August 24, 2026
What Are USDA's Livestock Forage Disaster Program Payments?
LFP is the primary safety net for ranchers when drought reduces grazing availability. Here's exactly how payments are calculated.
August 19, 2026
Mississippi Delta Farming and Federal Assistance
The Mississippi Delta is one of America's most productive and most heavily subsidized farming regions. Here's the story behind the numbers.
August 14, 2026
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Explained
EQIP pays farmers to adopt conservation practices on working land. It's one of the fastest-growing parts of USDA's conservation budget.
August 9, 2026
How Farm Subsidies Are Reported and Who Oversees Them
Multiple agencies and watchdogs monitor USDA payment programs. Here's the oversight landscape and where public data comes from.
August 4, 2026
Georgia Peanut and Cotton Subsidy Programs
Georgia is the top peanut state and a major cotton producer. Here's how federal commodity programs support these two crops.
July 30, 2026
Why Some Farm Payments Are Redacted in USASpending Data
Millions of USDA payment records show "REDACTED" instead of a recipient name. Here's the law behind the redactions and what the data still shows.
July 25, 2026
Top USDA Assistance Programs by Total Dollars Paid Out
Which CFDA programs have generated the most total dollars since FY2001? The ranking reveals a lot about how the farm safety net actually works.
July 20, 2026
How Fiscal Year Differs from Calendar Year in USDA Data
USDA operates on a fiscal year that starts October 1. This affects how you should interpret payment data and compare years.
July 15, 2026
The Margin Protection Program for Dairy Farmers
Dairy farms operate on thin margins between milk prices and feed costs. The Dairy Margin Coverage program provides a safety net when that margin compresses.
July 10, 2026
California's Unique Subsidy Profile: Specialty Crops and Drought Aid
California is the nation's largest agricultural state by value, but its specialty-crop focus means its federal payment profile looks very different from the Midwest.
July 6, 2026
Understanding Commodity Payments: Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Cotton
The four major row crops drive the majority of all USDA commodity program payments. Here's how the economics work for each.
July 1, 2026
How the Farm Bill Shapes Today's Subsidy Landscape
Congress writes a new farm bill every five years, setting the structure of all federal agricultural programs. Here's how to read current USDA data in its farm bill context.
June 26, 2026
Missouri's Agricultural Safety Net: A County-by-County Look
Missouri's agricultural diversity — row crops in the north, cattle in the Ozarks, rice and cotton in the southeast — creates a varied federal payment map.
June 21, 2026
What Are Direct Attribution Limits on Farm Payments?
Payment limits cap federal assistance per person, but the rules are more complicated than they appear. Here's how attribution works in practice.
June 16, 2026
South Dakota Beef Cattle Producers and USDA Assistance
South Dakota is one of the country's top beef cattle states. Its USDA payment profile reflects both commodity programs for crops and disaster programs for livestock.
June 11, 2026
How Small Farms Compare to Large Operations in Federal Payments
Federal farm payments are heavily concentrated in large operations. Here's what the data shows and why payment limit rules haven't flattened the distribution.
June 6, 2026