The 10 Most Surprising Farm Subsidy Recipients

Tallahassee, FL · Wildfires & Hurricanes Indemnity Program

A state disaster agency — not a farmer — is the #1 farm subsidy recipient in America. $346.6M across just 6 payments, all hurricane/wildfire relief funneled through the state.

Washington, DC · Market Access Program

A DC-based trade lobbying group collecting $69M in taxpayer money to promote US cotton exports abroad. Not a single cotton plant grown.

Denver, CO · WHIP — Sugar Beet Cooperatives

$69M in a single payment to a sugar beet processing company. One check, one program, one cooperative.

Moorhead, MN · WHIP — Sugar Beet Cooperatives

Another sugar cooperative, another single massive payment. Two sugar companies together collected $122M from a single program.

Chicago, IL · Market Access Program

A Chicago-based nonprofit promoting food exports. $47M over 556 payments — averaging $85K per payment to market American food overseas.

Wahpeton, ND · WHIP — Sugar Beet Cooperatives

The third sugar beet cooperative on this list. Together, three sugar companies collected $168M from hurricane relief — more than most states' entire farm subsidy totals.

Multiple, TX/LA · Price Loss Coverage / MFP

A single LLC entity appearing in multiple states — Texas and Louisiana — collecting $87M combined across 9,000+ payments. The scale suggests a major agricultural finance operation, not a family farm.

Washington, DC · Market Access Program

Yet another DC trade group collecting millions to promote grain exports. The Market Access Program spent $38M here on marketing, not farming.

Juneau, AK · Market Access Program

Alaska — not exactly known for its farmland — collecting $20M in farm subsidies to promote seafood exports through the Market Access Program.

Brownsville, TX · Emergency Assist Livestock Bees Fish (ELAP)

A fish company collecting $12M in farm subsidies across just 2 payments. The program name says it all: "Emergency Assist Livestock Bees Fish."