# USDA Farm Subsidy Scraper — EWG Database (`jungle_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper`) Actor Scrape USDA farm subsidy recipients from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Farm Subsidy Database. Returns recipient names, locations, payment amounts by year and program (commodity, conservation, disaster subsidies). Coverage: 1995–2024, ~2.5M recipients, $500B+ total payments. - **URL**: https://apify.com/jungle\_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [BowTiedRaccoon](https://apify.com/jungle_synthesizer) (community) - **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Education - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## EWG Farm Subsidy Database Scraper Scrapes USDA farm subsidy recipient data from the [Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database](https://farm.ewg.org). Returns recipient names, locations, total payments, and program-level breakdowns (commodity, conservation, disaster) covering 1995–2024 — a dataset tracking $500B+ in payments to roughly 2.5 million recipients across the United States. --- ### EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper Features - Extracts subsidy recipients for any US state or specific county (by FIPS code) - Returns 13 fields per record: name, ID, city, state, ZIP, county, total lifetime payments, and program-level breakdowns - Filters by subsidy program type — all programs, commodity only, conservation only, or disaster only - Discovers recipients from top-recipient listings, starting with the highest-paid farms per county - Returns numeric payment totals in USD, ready for analysis without string parsing - Handles Cloudflare protection via residential proxy — runs as configured, no manual intervention --- ### What Can You Do With USDA Farm Subsidy Data? - **Journalists and researchers** — identify the largest subsidy recipients in a given state, county, or program, and cross-reference against public records - **Policy analysts** — track commodity vs. conservation vs. disaster payment distributions over time by geography - **Investigative teams** — build recipient databases for specific congressional districts or farming regions ahead of legislative coverage - **Academic researchers** — assemble ground-truth datasets for agricultural economics studies without manually navigating EWG's paginated interface - **Lead generation** — surface active farm operations by county for agricultural services, equipment sales, or commodity brokerage outreach --- ### How It Works 1. Provide a US state code (`IL`, `IA`, `TX`, etc.) and a program type — or use the defaults to pull Illinois's top commodity subsidy recipients 2. The scraper identifies the highest-subsidy counties for that state and fetches the top-recipient list, paginating as needed 3. For each recipient discovered, it fetches the payment summary page and the address page — two requests, one complete record 4. Results are saved to the dataset as structured JSON with consistent field names --- ### EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper Input ```json { "maxItems": 50, "stateFips": "IA", "programCode": "totalfarm" } ```` | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `maxItems` | integer | 10 | Maximum number of records to return | | `stateFips` | string | *(none)* | Two-letter US state code (`IL`, `IA`, `ND`, etc.). Leave blank to pull from a default set of farming counties | | `programCode` | string | `total` | Subsidy program: `total` (all), `totalfarm` (commodity), `total_cr` (conservation), `total_dis` (disaster) | *** ### EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper Output Fields Each record corresponds to one subsidy recipient and includes their aggregate payment history from 1995 through 2024. ```json { "recipient_id": "A03488493", "name": "Warner Brothers Inc", "city": "Champaign", "state": "IL", "zip": "61820", "county": "Champaign", "total_lifetime_payments": 2847392, "commodity_subsidies": 1923104, "conservation_subsidies": 581200, "disaster_subsidies": 343088, "years_active": "1996-2024", "recipient_url": "https://farm.ewg.org/persondetail.php?custnumber=A03488493", "source_fips": "17019" } ``` | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `recipient_id` | string | EWG internal recipient ID (custnumber) | | `name` | string | Recipient name — individual or entity | | `city` | string | City from USDA address records | | `state` | string | State abbreviation | | `zip` | string | ZIP code from USDA address records | | `county` | string | County where the farm is located | | `total_lifetime_payments` | number | Total USDA payments received 1995–2024 (USD) | | `commodity_subsidies` | number | Commodity subsidy payments 1995–2024 (USD) | | `conservation_subsidies` | number | Conservation subsidy payments 1995–2024 (USD) | | `disaster_subsidies` | number | Disaster subsidy payments 1995–2024 (USD) | | `years_active` | string | Years the recipient appears in USDA records | | `recipient_url` | string | Direct link to the EWG recipient profile page | | `source_fips` | string | FIPS code of the county used to discover this recipient | *** ### 🔍 FAQ #### How do I scrape the EWG farm subsidy database? EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper handles it. Set `stateFips` to your target state, configure `maxItems`, and run. The actor discovers top recipients by county, fetches each profile, and returns structured data — no browser navigation required on your end. #### What does EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper cost to run? The actor charges $0.10 per run plus $0.002 per record scraped. A run pulling 500 records costs approximately $1.10. Runs with `maxItems` under 20 typically complete in 3–6 minutes. #### What data is available in the EWG farm subsidy database? The database covers USDA subsidy payments from 1995 through 2024 across three program types: commodity subsidies (direct payments, crop insurance, ARC/PLC), conservation programs (CRP, EQIP, CSP), and disaster assistance. Each recipient record includes name, location, and aggregate payment totals. #### Can I filter by county or specific FIPS code? Yes. Pass a 5-digit FIPS code directly in `stateFips` — the actor recognizes numeric input as a FIPS code and queries that county directly. For example, `"17019"` pulls Champaign County, IL. #### Does EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper require proxies? It uses Apify residential proxies automatically. The EWG database is behind Cloudflare protection, so residential proxies are required — the actor handles this without any configuration on your part. *** ### Need More Features? Need different program codes, bulk state coverage, or year-level payment breakdowns? [File an issue](https://console.apify.com/actors/issues) or get in touch. ### Why Use EWG Farm Subsidy Scraper? - **Public interest data, structured** — The EWG database contains 30 years of USDA subsidy records that are technically public but practically inaccessible without clicking through hundreds of paginated results. - **Affordable** — ~$0.002 per record, with no subscription or account required on your end. - **Clean output** — Returns numeric payment totals, not dollar-formatted strings. The data lands in your dataset ready to analyze. # Actor input Schema ## `sp_intended_usage` (type: `string`): Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler. ## `sp_improvement_suggestions` (type: `string`): Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements. ## `sp_contact` (type: `string`): Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of subsidy recipient records to return. Use small values (3-10) for testing. ## `stateFips` (type: `string`): Two-letter US state code (e.g. 'IL' for Illinois, 'IA' for Iowa). Leave blank for default coverage. ## `programCode` (type: `string`): Subsidy program to query. Options: 'total' (all programs), 'totalfarm' (commodity only), 'total\_cr' (conservation), 'total\_dis' (disaster). Default: 'total'. ## Actor input object example ```json { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "maxItems": 10, "stateFips": "IL", "programCode": "total" } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "maxItems": 10, "stateFips": "IL", "programCode": "total" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "maxItems": 10, "stateFips": "IL", "programCode": "total", } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "maxItems": 10, "stateFips": "IL", "programCode": "total" }' | apify call jungle_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=jungle_synthesizer/usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "USDA Farm Subsidy Scraper — EWG Database", "description": "Scrape USDA farm subsidy recipients from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Farm Subsidy Database. Returns recipient names, locations, payment amounts by year and program (commodity, conservation, disaster subsidies). Coverage: 1995–2024, ~2.5M recipients, $500B+ total payments.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "Wax5S3I4RJ3IcSloT" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-jungle_synthesizer-usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-jungle_synthesizer-usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-jungle_synthesizer-usda-farm-subsidy-ewg-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "maxItems" ], "properties": { "sp_intended_usage": { "title": "What is the intended usage of this data?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler." }, "sp_improvement_suggestions": { "title": "How can we improve this crawler for you?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements." }, "sp_contact": { "title": "Contact Email", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you." }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of subsidy recipient records to return. Use small values (3-10) for testing.", "default": 10 }, "stateFips": { "title": "State Code", "type": "string", "description": "Two-letter US state code (e.g. 'IL' for Illinois, 'IA' for Iowa). Leave blank for default coverage." }, "programCode": { "title": "Program Code", "type": "string", "description": "Subsidy program to query. Options: 'total' (all programs), 'totalfarm' (commodity only), 'total_cr' (conservation), 'total_dis' (disaster). Default: 'total'.", "default": "total" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```