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In 2021, 88 farmers in cities within Wayne County received a total of $1.6 million in 295 farm subsidies, a 44.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.8 million in 346 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Bros | $291,568 | $206,165 | -29.3% |
| MT Pennell Cattle Company | $147,026 | $125,907 | -14.4% |
| Andrew G. Taft | $165,170 | $69,443 | -58% |
| Jack King Company, LLC | $97,473 | $61,630 | -36.8% |
| Phillip G. Pace | $86,383 | $51,205 | -40.7% |
| Trinity R. Edwards | $43,141 | $50,042 | 16% |
| Jerry L. Blackburn | $54,671 | $49,473 | -9.5% |
| Kerry Cook | $57,236 | $48,357 | -15.5% |
| Mack C. Morrell | $86,046 | $46,329 | -46.2% |
| RPR Ranch, LLC | $73,390 | $44,004 | -40% |
| Boone K. Taylor | $59,595 | $43,641 | -26.8% |
| David Christensen | $64,972 | $43,402 | -33.2% |
| Chappell Farms, Inc. | $202,873 | $42,058 | -79.3% |
| W-4 Ranch, LLC | $68,556 | $40,143 | -41.4% |
| Aaron Jacobs | $55,820 | $34,414 | -38.3% |
| Shannon D. Brian | $57,975 | $34,307 | -40.8% |
| Jan B. Ellett | $49,417 | $31,481 | -36.3% |
| Richard Fillmore | $52,646 | $28,148 | -46.5% |
| Jake R. Jones | $44,061 | $26,659 | -39.5% |
| Elvin K. Taft | $51,425 | $25,829 | -49.8% |
| Ross Keith Fillmore | $36,524 | $23,500 | -35.7% |
| Darren Nelson | $38,432 | $22,670 | -41% |
| Marc W. Wood | $38,859 | $22,593 | -41.9% |
| John G. Taylor | $38,547 | $22,486 | -41.7% |
| Paul W. Pace | $34,480 | $21,999 | -36.2% |
| Douglas G. Pace | $34,586 | $21,264 | -38.5% |
| Russell W. Peterson | $31,231 | $20,786 | -33.4% |
| Roger Stanley Brian | $74,639 | $20,184 | -73% |
| Ned H. Taylor | $33,829 | $20,068 | -40.7% |
| Arthur F. Lyman | $3,148 | $17,139 | 444.4% |
| Jeffery Ranch, LLC | $92,589 | $16,729 | -81.9% |
| Riley D. Taylor | $29,708 | $16,685 | -43.8% |
| Prall J. Taylor | $20,866 | $15,067 | -27.8% |
| Brian Peterson | $28,206 | $14,750 | -47.7% |
| Troy Brian | $22,056 | $13,377 | -39.3% |
| Drayston Nelson | $21,458 | $12,394 | -42.2% |
| Neal G. Jackson | $26,623 | $11,323 | -57.5% |
| Braden Stanley Brian | $17,034 | $11,204 | -34.2% |
| Gordon Ellett | $19,575 | $10,919 | -44.2% |
| Tyler D. Torgerson | $14,065 | $9,813 | -30.2% |
| Brandon S. Blackburn | $16,570 | $8,575 | -48.2% |
| Bobby Edwards | $15,838 | $8,529 | -46.1% |
| Cooper Jeffrey Williams | $5,199 | $7,867 | 51.3% |
| Thomas P. Taylor | $12,453 | $7,505 | -39.7% |
| Wyatt S. Torgerson | $10,367 | $6,450 | -37.8% |
| Derik B. Edwards | $16,187 | $6,102 | -62.3% |
| Dwight Brinkerhoff | $17,718 | $5,327 | -69.9% |
| Ronald Rees | $16,639 | $5,199 | -68.8% |
| James A. Pace | $10,610 | $4,476 | -57.8% |
| Evan Leavitt | $7,042 | $4,409 | -37.4% |
| Bryan Brinkerhoff | $17,952 | $4,042 | -77.5% |
| Douglas Oyler | $11,230 | $4,030 | -64.1% |
| Jason Grundy | $12,248 | $4,025 | -67.1% |
| McCoy Brian | $0 | $4,013 | -- |
| Kyle R. Torgerson | $10,883 | $3,823 | -64.9% |
| Mary Graham | $5,475 | $3,402 | -37.9% |
| Randy Blackburn Farms, LLC | $7,449 | $3,108 | -58.3% |
| Jerry R. Chappell | $1,658 | $2,019 | 21.8% |
| Michael James Potter | $3,215 | $1,951 | -39.3% |
| Jodee T. Harker | $9,931 | $1,789 | -82% |
| Pace Ellett | $3,905 | $1,681 | -57% |
| Philip Taylor | $3,457 | $1,443 | -58.3% |
| Clint Prall Taylor | $1,919 | $1,426 | -25.7% |
| Durran D. Brian | $10,007 | $1,380 | -86.2% |
| Don E. Torgerson | $3,140 | $1,380 | -56.1% |
| Tyler Peterson | $14,514 | $1,274 | -91.2% |
| Seth Elias Taft | $5,753 | $1,256 | -78.2% |
| Bronson Ammon Oyler | $5,535 | $1,228 | -77.8% |
| Dennis Ekker | $3,791 | $1,216 | -67.9% |
| Alexus Xi | $2,046 | $1,082 | -47.1% |
| Seth Chappell | $775 | $816 | 5.3% |
| Kay C. Peterson | $610 | $814 | 33.4% |
| Bruce Vandyke | $812 | $759 | -6.5% |
| Scott Carl Ellett | $5,031 | $750 | -85.1% |
| Kurtis A. Robins | $3,443 | $743 | -78.4% |
| Kenneth a Stavheim | $690 | $690 | 0% |
| Bart C. Brian | $0 | $563 | -- |
| Russell C. Wells | $5,828 | $529 | -90.9% |
| Nancy Brown | $239 | $502 | 110% |
| Donald L. Coombs | $4,234 | $472 | -88.9% |
| Bradford C. Chappell | $384 | $430 | 12% |
| Milton Taft | $2,940 | $400 | -86.4% |
| Randy Mecham | $3,278 | $377 | -88.5% |
| Lois C. Brian | $7,509 | $360 | -95.2% |
| Beverly Hagel | $3,563 | $348 | -90.2% |
| Alton Chappell | $354 | $289 | -18.4% |
| Burke Torgerson | $586 | $268 | -54.3% |
| Jocee Walk | $1,177 | $236 | -79.9% |
| Greg Larsen | $2,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Blackburn | $2,377 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Blackburn | $2,726 | $0 | -100% |
| Jared Duane Hallows | $1,870 | $0 | -100% |
| Trinity R. Edwards | $29,057 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley Erickson | $5,715 | $0 | -100% |
| Bryson Syme | $513 | $0 | -100% |
| Shane Brian | $9,668 | $0 | -100% |
| Sherrill Torgerson | $624 | $0 | -100% |
| Dwight S. Williams | $120 | $0 | -100% |
| Kendall F. Nelson | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Kay Hickman | $364 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,826,517 | $1,566,940 | -44.6% |
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