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In 2021, 73 farmers in cities within Blaine County received a total of $1.7 million in 154 farm subsidies, a 40.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.9 million in 212 farm subsidies.
Though farm subsidies support agriculture in the U.S., pumping $7 trillion into the economy, they are not without controversy.
The American Action Forum discovered that the most highly subsidized crops - corn, soy, wheat, and rice - are often consumed in highly processed ways, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, while the fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet are rarely subsidized.
"We are consuming more calories, fats, sodium, and sugars, and not enough beneficial nutrients and vitamins," Tara O'Neill Hayes wrote. "It is critical that both policymakers and the American public understand the influence that federal agricultural subsidies have on our food supply and diet and, in turn, our nutrition and health."
Farm subsidies have also been criticized for assisting the highest-earning agricultural businesses, not local farmers on their family farms who are barely getting by.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."
The U.S. has provided farm subsidies since the Great Depression to assist farmers who weather price fluctuations and disasters, to help maintain consistent farming across the country.
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Top Sheep Company | $427,428 | $305,120 | -28.6% |
| John F. Stevenson | $84,389 | $170,354 | 101.9% |
| Rocky Sherbine | $228,226 | $149,072 | -34.7% |
| Blackburn Farming, LLC | $189,252 | $117,451 | -37.9% |
| Cenarrusa Farms, Inc. | $141,403 | $88,379 | -37.5% |
| C L Hansen Farms, Inc. | $167,143 | $84,752 | -49.3% |
| Charles S. Potter Jr. | $98,296 | $70,371 | -28.4% |
| T2 Ranch, LLC | $102,691 | $53,089 | -48.3% |
| The Nature Conservancy | $48,297 | $50,000 | 3.5% |
| The Nature Conservancy | $48,297 | $50,000 | 3.5% |
| Brian James Sears | $80,978 | $46,198 | -42.9% |
| Brown Ranch, Inc. | $15,882 | $39,319 | 147.6% |
| Guy Peterson | $32,616 | $36,468 | 11.8% |
| DRY Creek Farms, LLC | $39,082 | $35,449 | -9.3% |
| Wade L. Prescott | $60,454 | $35,195 | -41.8% |
| Clarence Earl Molyneux | $55,188 | $30,184 | -45.3% |
| Unser Hay Company, LLC | $25,675 | $28,974 | 12.8% |
| Lava Lake Land & Livestock, LLC | $75,540 | $28,565 | -62.2% |
| Bar DP Ranch, LLC | $30,620 | $24,455 | -20.1% |
| Simpson Brothers, LLC | $24,811 | $21,493 | -13.4% |
| Jim Layne Barton-J & S Barton Family Trust | $64,179 | $21,213 | -66.9% |
| Aaron Ralph Andrews | $29,770 | $19,255 | -35.3% |
| Lakeview 5 Farms, LLC | $35,332 | $17,611 | -50.2% |
| Dean R Rogers, Inc. | $41,647 | $15,387 | -63.1% |
| Alpine Cattle Company, LLC | $45,427 | $15,383 | -66.1% |
| Greg Mann | $21,109 | $14,419 | -31.7% |
| James Cenarrusa | $11,833 | $14,254 | 20.5% |
| Robert L. Hennefer | $22,096 | $9,145 | -58.6% |
| Kyle Matthew Dalton | $41,107 | $8,813 | -78.6% |
| Fish Creek Livestock, LLC | $37,808 | $8,687 | -77% |
| Loren D. Strode | $14,751 | $8,390 | -43.1% |
| Big Creek Ranch, LLC | $15,445 | $7,519 | -51.3% |
| Fish Creek Angus, LLC | $5,026 | $6,872 | 36.7% |
| Amy Jo Martin | $10,673 | $6,520 | -38.9% |
| Glenda Cluck Cox Trust | $4,735 | $5,305 | 12% |
| Michael Leslie Olsen | $4,889 | $5,039 | 3.1% |
| Chance Molyneux | $12,229 | $4,747 | -61.2% |
| Doug Surerus | $11,696 | $4,325 | -63% |
| Richard T. Whitby | $19,157 | $4,172 | -78.2% |
| Robert Manuel Melo | $6,223 | $3,898 | -37.4% |
| Pamela J. Tucker | $2,314 | $3,687 | 59.3% |
| Laurie Yeager | $8,940 | $3,614 | -59.6% |
| Charley Stevenson Ward 1999 Trust | $0 | $2,933 | -- |
| Jennifer L. K. Haemmerle | $0 | $2,853 | -- |
| Einar B Hoff | $5,952 | $2,829 | -52.5% |
| Leslie W Hornocker | $2,769 | $2,769 | 0% |
| Maurice G Hornocker | $2,769 | $2,769 | 0% |
| John Richard Saili | $3,787 | $2,380 | -37.2% |
| Lawrence Schoen | $3,091 | $2,377 | -23.1% |
| Connie Whitworth | $7,715 | $2,074 | -73.1% |
| Wesley Tinsley | $11,242 | $2,018 | -82% |
| Milo Mecham | $15,495 | $1,922 | -87.6% |
| Andrea F Stevenson Trust 5 | $3,182 | $1,742 | -45.3% |
| John F Stevenson JR Trust 5 | $3,182 | $1,742 | -45.3% |
| Jeffry Koudelka | $867 | $1,684 | 94.2% |
| Cyril William Hill | $5,281 | $1,580 | -70.1% |
| Greg M. Peterson | $7,403 | $1,482 | -80% |
| Bryan William Hill | $6,470 | $1,250 | -80.7% |
| Darin Parke | $1,459 | $1,156 | -20.8% |
| 4D Livestock, LLC | $7,274 | $1,070 | -85.3% |
| Richard Simpson | $2,692 | $922 | -65.8% |
| Thomas R. Peck | $248 | $886 | 257.3% |
| Mark R. Hamilton | $411 | $850 | 106.8% |
| John F. Stevenson Jr. | $4,905 | $785 | -84% |
| Rory J Krenka | $3,608 | $745 | -79.4% |
| Lizzy's Fresh Coffee, LLC | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Todd Anderson | $793 | $484 | -39% |
| RFD Enterprises, LLC | $696 | $411 | -40.9% |
| Lloyd Davis | $660 | $253 | -61.7% |
| Cathy Zaccardi | $0 | $234 | -- |
| Carol J. Cole | $753 | $220 | -70.8% |
| Richard A. Mecham | $4,924 | $184 | -96.3% |
| Margaret Cameron | $0 | $106 | -- |
| Arbor Farms, LLC | $35,133 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeff Zaccardi | $304 | $0 | -100% |
| Squash Blossom Farm, LLC | $8,677 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlson Farms, LLC | $2,370 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathy Lynn Olsen | $1,112 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth C. Bailey | $370 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard D. Payne | $221 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert D. Whitby | $720 | $0 | -100% |
| Alfred Jessen | $1,985 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce Tuxhorn | $6,718 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald B. Klepser | $26,413 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric A. Slotten | $17,440 | $0 | -100% |
| Five Bee Hives, LLC | $10,256 | $0 | -100% |
| FV Atlantis, LLC | $85,793 | $0 | -100% |
| John Taylor Phillips | $10,171 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith Catalano Wilson | $2,756 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Hoskins | $396 | $0 | -100% |
| James Coyle | $61,346 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin Klepser | $20,488 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew C. Luck | $29,784 | $0 | -100% |
| Pettigrews & Son, LLC | $23,070 | $0 | -100% |
| Wade Family Living Trust | $949 | $0 | -100% |
| Dawn Marie Peterson | $514 | $0 | -100% |
| Kelly Ranch, LLC | $500 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,898,268 | $1,716,353 | -40.8% |
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