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The state of taxpayer-funded farm subsidies in Farmington in 2021
In 2021, 48 farmers in Farmington received a total of $1.6 million in 121 farm subsidies, a 50.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.2 million in 168 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| K & L Farms, GP | $296,268 | $579,694 | -48.9% |
| Nelson Farms, Inc. | $185,294 | $258,465 | -28.3% |
| Silver Creek Farms, Inc. | $133,493 | $220,888 | -39.6% |
| Bernt Lehn Farms, Inc. | $127,728 | $232,667 | -45.1% |
| Pfaff Farms, Inc. | $82,468 | $143,352 | -42.5% |
| Daniel Westacott | $72,431 | $147,205 | -50.8% |
| Aurora, Inc. | $62,423 | $125,867 | -50.4% |
| Brandon Doneen | $60,294 | $129,664 | -53.5% |
| Lisenbee Farms, LLC | $51,388 | $139,503 | -63.2% |
| Harold Kern | $48,413 | $83,061 | -41.7% |
| Woody Grade Farms, LLC | $47,530 | $111,381 | -57.3% |
| Ford Gumm & Sons, Inc. | $37,995 | $82,464 | -53.9% |
| Randall Lee Fisher | $37,793 | $18,740 | 101.7% |
| Dennis Wagner | $37,598 | $57,756 | -34.9% |
| Kelly Rambo | $37,446 | $83,016 | -54.9% |
| Jerry Wagner | $29,083 | $39,224 | -25.9% |
| Liberty Fields, LLC | $22,379 | $34,029 | -34.2% |
| Wes Wagner | $20,942 | $22,180 | -5.6% |
| Linda Schoepflin | $18,892 | $2,175 | 768.6% |
| Andrew Nelson Rlt-Andrew Bruce Nelson | $18,880 | $0 | -- |
| JSJ Farm, Inc. | $18,599 | $75,949 | -75.5% |
| William Heise | $17,899 | $21,878 | -18.2% |
| Randy Fisher | $17,211 | $102,247 | -83.2% |
| John M. Arland | $17,207 | $52,553 | -67.3% |
| Thomas L. Rambo | $17,068 | $34,496 | -50.5% |
| Karen Rambo | $17,032 | $34,458 | -50.6% |
| Donna Closson-Lehn | $13,014 | $19,626 | -33.7% |
| Harold A. Nelson | $10,547 | $22,953 | -54% |
| Alfred Schroetlin | $10,329 | $21,741 | -52.5% |
| Roy E St. John Farms, Inc. | $6,950 | $12,498 | -44.4% |
| Chad Hansen | $6,117 | $11,467 | -46.7% |
| Karla K. Wagner | $5,714 | $6,610 | -13.6% |
| Dave Lisenbee | $4,337 | $3,607 | 20.2% |
| Bruce Living Trust | $3,825 | $7,029 | -45.6% |
| Wanooka Farms, Inc. | $3,575 | $5,912 | -39.5% |
| Terry Gumm | $2,876 | $16,755 | -82.8% |
| C Laurene Wagner Family, LLC | $2,719 | $11,946 | -77.2% |
| Kevin Wagner | $2,252 | $3,242 | -30.5% |
| Lydia Wagner Trust | $2,186 | $3,198 | -31.6% |
| John R. Jamison | $2,095 | $4,042 | -48.2% |
| Lynda J. Jamison | $2,095 | $4,042 | -48.2% |
| Wm F. Jamison III | $2,095 | $4,042 | -48.2% |
| Jim Thompson | $1,757 | $1,801 | -2.4% |
| James R. Trimble | $1,748 | $2,595 | -32.6% |
| David Gumm | $1,739 | $15,856 | -89% |
| Mary Sue Thompson Testamentary Grandchildren's Trust | $1,372 | $722 | 90% |
| Kelly Turk | $108 | $193 | -44% |
| Mary Jo Turk | $39 | $39 | 0% |
| Agra, Inc. | $0 | $1,696 | -100% |
| Andrew Nelson Rlt-Andrew Bruce NE | $0 | $37,321 | -100% |
| Blake Fisher | $0 | $22,024 | -100% |
| C Laurene Wagner Trust | $0 | $5,521 | -100% |
| First Interstate Bank | $0 | $75,193 | -100% |
| Joseph S Van Arsdel | $0 | $16,670 | -100% |
| L & a Farms, Inc. | $0 | $29,303 | -100% |
| Linda Schoephlin | $0 | $3,400 | -100% |
| Patricia R. Stark | $0 | $45,889 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,621,243 | $3,249,845 | -50.1% |