Harney County, Oregon
Farm Programs & Local Resources
Last Updated: March 2026 | Always verify with your local USDA office. Report an error
Harney County is Oregon's largest county by area — bigger than some states. Burns and Hines are the only towns of any size. The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Steens Mountain, and vast sagebrush rangeland define the landscape.
This is big ranch country. Cattle operations run on tens of thousands of acres of rangeland, with irrigated hay in the valleys for winter feed. Harney County epitomizes the western range cattle operation.
Quick Facts
| Region | High Desert / Southeast Oregon |
| Top Commodities | Cattle & calves, Horses, Sheep, Fruit & tree nuts, Hogs, Goats |
| Farms & Ranches | ~477 (2022 USDA Census) |
| Agricultural Land | ~1,480,000 acres |
| Average Farm Size | ~3,100 acres |
Find Your Local USDA Offices
Your nearest USDA Service Center houses both NRCS (conservation programs like EQIP and CSP) and FSA (loans, disaster assistance, farm numbers) under one roof. Most Oregon counties are served by a Service Center that may cover multiple counties.
Find your Service Center:
Search for "Harney County" to find your local NRCS and FSA offices, including address, phone number, and hours.
What to do when you call: Ask to schedule a meeting with a conservation planner (for EQIP/CSP) or a loan officer (for FSA programs). Mention the type of operation you run and what improvements you're considering. They'll tell you what to bring to the meeting.
Programs for Harney County Operations
Based on the agricultural profile of Harney County, these programs are most likely to be relevant:
Sage-grouse habitat conservation is the dominant EQIP priority — Harney County is core sage-grouse country. Juniper removal, rangeland seeding, and water development for livestock distribution are heavily funded. LFP is essential for drought years, which are common.
Not sure which programs fit? Run our free eligibility screener — it takes 2 minutes and generates a personalized action packet you can print and bring to your USDA office.
Local Conservation Priorities
Every county has specific conservation priorities set by the Local Working Group (LWG) — a committee of local ranchers, farmers, NRCS staff, and conservation partners. EQIP applications that address local priorities score higher in the ranking process.
We don't have Harney County's specific LWG priorities yet.
Ask your local NRCS office: "What are the priority resource concerns in Harney County?" This directly affects how your EQIP application is scored. You can also attend the annual LWG meeting — they're open to all producers.
Your Next Steps in Harney County
- Run the eligibility screener to see which programs fit your operation: Free Screener
- Find your local USDA Service Center and call to schedule a meeting: Service Center Locator
- Read the full Oregon guide for statewide program details, deadlines, and office contacts: Oregon Farm Programs Guide
This guide is part of Farmer's Navigator. Built by Oregon ranchers. Free for everyone.