DOGE and Farm Subsidies: What Government Efficiency Means for USDA Payments

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made waves reviewing federal spending for waste, fraud, and redundancy. USDA farm subsidies — $147.29B across 157 programs — represent one of the largest discretionary spending categories in the federal budget. Our dataset covering 2017-2025 reveals exactly where efficiency-minded reformers should look.

The Efficiency Problem: 157 Programs

The USDA doesn't run one farm subsidy program — it runs 157. Many overlap, some contradict each other, and at least 43 “zombie programs” have fewer than 100 payments each. These programs persist through bureaucratic inertia, consuming administrative overhead while serving almost nobody.

For efficiency advocates, the program count alone signals bloat. The question isn't whether farm subsidies exist — it's whether 157 separate bureaucratic channels are the right way to deliver them. See our full analysis of program proliferation.

Who Gets the Money?

Farm subsidies don't just go to farmers. Our entity type breakdown shows payments flowing to corporations, LLCs, government entities, and partnerships. Over 620,000 recipients collect from 3 or more programs simultaneously, with some tapping into 14 programs at once.

The concentration problem is stark: the top 10% of recipients collect nearly three-fourths of all payments. 69% of American farms receive nothing at all.

Emergency Spending: The Budget Buster

Traditional farm subsidies are large but predictable. What's blown up the budget is emergency spending — trade war bailouts, COVID relief, and disaster programs that now dwarf the baseline. In 2020 alone, farm subsidy spending roughly doubled due to pandemic relief programs.

Emergency programs bypass normal budget scrutiny. They're created fast, spend big, and often become permanent. The decade of disaster spending shows how what started as exceptions became the rule.

What DOGE Should Examine

If the goal is genuine efficiency in farm spending, the data points to several areas:

1. Consolidate programs: 157 programs is indefensible. Many could be merged or eliminated. Start with the 43 zombie programs.
2. Audit entity types: Why are government entities receiving farm subsidies? What's the public interest case?
3. Cap emergency spending: Emergency programs need sunset clauses and spending caps, not open-ended authorizations.
4. Address concentration: If 69% of farms get nothing, the programs aren't serving “farmers” — they're serving large agricultural operations.
5. Examine spending by category: Compare the ROI of commodity subsidies vs. conservation vs. disaster relief.

The Data Is Public — Explore It Yourself

Every number in this article comes from our open database of USDA Farm Service Agency payments. No paywalls, no gatekeeping. Whether you think farm subsidies are essential safety nets or wasteful spending, the data should be accessible to everyone.