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In 2021, 59 farmers in cities within Hartley County received a total of $1.2 million in 100 farm subsidies, a 67.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.8 million in 160 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey Gold Dairy, LLC | $63,653 | $288,682 | 353.5% |
| G & T Farms, GP | $517,476 | $199,725 | -61.4% |
| Northside Farms, LLC | $603,962 | $127,173 | -78.9% |
| Nick Farms, LLC | $399,055 | $73,500 | -81.6% |
| Delta 3 | $59,974 | $47,932 | -20.1% |
| Carol A. Ford | $24,452 | $47,507 | 94.3% |
| Dale Burson | $55,163 | $42,368 | -23.2% |
| Brad H. Green | $90,113 | $38,376 | -57.4% |
| Andy Michael | $41,415 | $30,022 | -27.5% |
| Mark Ensz | $71,621 | $26,228 | -63.4% |
| Joost Smulders | $1,216,524 | $25,394 | -97.9% |
| Dale B Barber | $58,773 | $20,468 | -65.2% |
| Adam Skalsky | $30,623 | $19,890 | -35% |
| W David Spinhirne | $34,938 | $17,045 | -51.2% |
| Stanley Partners LP | $15,532 | $15,532 | 0% |
| Lynn Koehn | $37,176 | $15,276 | -58.9% |
| Daniel R. Ford | $56,759 | $15,200 | -73.2% |
| Regan C. Mead | $13,272 | $15,020 | 13.2% |
| Babette Spinhirne | $27,612 | $14,075 | -49% |
| Frank J. Davis | $13,019 | $13,019 | 0% |
| Paula Jane Mayo | $12,631 | $12,631 | 0% |
| Jay West | $21,051 | $8,522 | -59.5% |
| Joe N. Thomas | $7,478 | $7,478 | 0% |
| J-T. Livestock, Inc. | $8,889 | $6,435 | -27.6% |
| David Ensz | $9,134 | $5,881 | -35.6% |
| Glenn Ford | $10,820 | $5,818 | -46.2% |
| Michael J. Thompson | $8,044 | $5,354 | -33.4% |
| Farrah Thompson | $7,425 | $4,735 | -36.2% |
| Gary Marcus Brorman | $2,030 | $4,683 | 130.7% |
| Green Brothers | $21,306 | $4,602 | -78.4% |
| 1455 Ranch, LLC | $16,295 | $3,571 | -78.1% |
| Doris M. Harbert | $2,675 | $3,567 | 33.3% |
| Shawn Kennedy | $9,020 | $3,506 | -61.1% |
| Frank Shepherd | $7,285 | $3,311 | -54.6% |
| Clark-Russell Farms, LLC | $16,050 | $3,296 | -79.5% |
| Raymond Duyore | $10,786 | $2,998 | -72.2% |
| Donald Ford | $11,342 | $2,674 | -76.4% |
| Wanda Colston | $7,572 | $2,615 | -65.5% |
| Darwin R. Schmidt | $0 | $2,490 | -- |
| Lenz Farms Jv | $8,161 | $2,446 | -70% |
| Gene Ensz | $2,901 | $2,318 | -20.1% |
| John Ray Frantz Ch Tr II | $27,856 | $2,126 | -92.4% |
| John Ray Frantz Tr II | $27,852 | $2,125 | -92.4% |
| Jimmy D. Harbert | $3,920 | $1,942 | -50.5% |
| Kevin M. Burns | $0 | $1,886 | -- |
| Barbara Thompson | $1,786 | $1,786 | 0% |
| Robert J. Thompson | $1,786 | $1,786 | 0% |
| Sandhills Farm | $14,742 | $1,566 | -89.4% |
| Roy T. Browning | $3,915 | $1,546 | -60.5% |
| Mary M. Batenhorst | $3,395 | $1,509 | -55.6% |
| Roberta M. Unruh | $7,155 | $1,192 | -83.3% |
| Miguel Soto | $15,849 | $1,155 | -92.7% |
| Laura Slaughter Lilly Trust II | $1,045 | $1,045 | 0% |
| Elyse Lilly Marshall Trust II | $1,043 | $1,043 | 0% |
| Janelle Michael | $2,868 | $738 | -74.3% |
| Derrick Lanham | $924 | $483 | -47.7% |
| Laci Unruh | $3,463 | $133 | -96.2% |
| Arliss L. McDonald | $954 | $96 | -89.9% |
| Michael McDonald | $0 | $96 | -- |
| Doris Harbert | $7,098 | $0 | -100% |
| James Lee Hill | $12,276 | $0 | -100% |
| Jerry Hatfield | $6,523 | $0 | -100% |
| Terri Hatfield | $6,523 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,782,980 | $1,213,616 | -67.9% |
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