Minnesota's Farm Subsidy Landscape by County

Minnesota's agricultural diversity shows up clearly in its USDA payment data. Unlike states dominated by a single commodity, Minnesota has distinct agricultural regions — each with different program participation patterns — that make county-level analysis especially informative.

Southern Minnesota: corn and soybeans

The southern tier of Minnesota looks much like Iowa and northern Illinois — intensive corn-soybean production on highly productive soils, with ARC and PLC payments dominating USDA assistance. Counties like Martin, Faribault, and Freeborn generate some of the state's largest commodity program payments.

Red River Valley: sugar beets and wheat

The northwest corner of Minnesota, centered on the Red River Valley, has one of the most distinct agricultural economies in the US. Sugar beets — supported by a separate federal sugar program — and spring wheat dominate here. USDA payments in this region reflect wheat commodity programs and significant CRP enrollment in flood-prone areas.

Conservation Reserve in transition zones

The transition zones between intensive row-crop areas and the Boundary Waters / North Woods have significant CRP enrollment, particularly for wetland and marginal land conservation. These areas generate steady annual rental payments but lower commodity program payments.

Navigate Minnesota's data

The Minnesota state page breaks down payments by county and program. You can see how the corn-belt south, the Red River northwest, and the transition zones differ dramatically in their program participation and per-acre payment rates.