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The state of taxpayer-funded farm subsidies in Colon in 2021
In 2021, 25 farmers in Colon received a total of $693,808 in 47 farm subsidies, a 25% increase from 2020, when the total was $555,013 in 103 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 lead 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 | Subsidy Received in 2021 | Subsidy Received in 2020 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Poultry, LLC | $425,192 | $0 | -- |
| Little Arrow Farms, LLC | $54,490 | $0 | -- |
| Gentz Family Farms, LLC | $50,446 | $122,291 | -58.7% |
| Trattles Farms, LLC | $27,225 | $57,471 | -52.6% |
| Finkey Farms, LLC | $26,322 | $62,532 | -57.9% |
| Loren Frisbie | $16,913 | $26,100 | -35.2% |
| Matthew J. Sharp | $16,356 | $46,827 | -65.1% |
| Red Iron Farms, LLC | $12,771 | $30,306 | -57.9% |
| Daniel Sharp | $11,792 | $43,188 | -72.7% |
| Tyrel Matthew Miller | $10,911 | $38,728 | -71.8% |
| Lucas R. Sharp | $10,096 | $13,542 | -25.4% |
| Dennis Alton Schumacher | $6,538 | $27,824 | -76.5% |
| Todd Stoll | $6,472 | $7,445 | -13.1% |
| Jeff van Vorst | $3,137 | $0 | -- |
| Jeffery T. Fisher | $2,748 | $15,640 | -82.4% |
| Dennis A. Sturgis Jr. | $2,658 | $7,425 | -64.2% |
| Shamrock Farms | $2,084 | $5,414 | -61.5% |
| Adam Milliman | $2,028 | $0 | -- |
| Dean Fisher | $1,677 | $5,118 | -67.2% |
| Leon G. Barrett | $1,477 | $20,830 | -92.9% |
| James R. Freiburger | $1,192 | $0 | -- |
| Herbert Doster | $604 | $5,648 | -89.3% |
| Parker Philip Cupp | $353 | $355 | -0.6% |
| Larry Bontrager | $320 | $967 | -66.9% |
| Donald R. Caudill Jr. | $6 | $133 | -95.5% |
| Cathy L. Eldridge | $0 | $347 | -100% |
| Lyle M. Eldridge | $0 | $348 | -100% |
| Mark R. Sharp | $0 | $16,534 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $693,808 | $555,013 | 25% |