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In 2021, 61 farmers in cities within Wheeler County received a total of $1.8 million in 113 farm subsidies, a 31.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.7 million in 120 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homer Ranch | $448,276 | $255,195 | -43.1% |
| Double Bar Land, LLC | $192,475 | $240,488 | 24.9% |
| Painted Hills Natural Beef | $717,928 | $118,450 | -83.5% |
| Bryon O. Clark | $88,458 | $102,663 | 16.1% |
| Table Mountain Cattle Company | $65,544 | $93,144 | 42.1% |
| Wilson Ranches Le, LLC | $85,307 | $78,053 | -8.5% |
| Benjamin L. Logan | $54,233 | $77,454 | 42.8% |
| Bryce E. Logan Jr. | $48,340 | $74,848 | 54.8% |
| James Floyd Anspach | $128,788 | $71,023 | -44.9% |
| Hashknife Ranch | $96,844 | $55,547 | -42.6% |
| Buckhorn Ranch, LLC | $51,399 | $50,866 | -1% |
| Wehrli Ranches, LLC | $0 | $49,944 | -- |
| Keys Ranch, LLC | $35,982 | $45,436 | 26.3% |
| Wayne Lindquist | $26,383 | $43,780 | 65.9% |
| Gordon Tolton | $22,912 | $38,012 | 65.9% |
| Dyer Farms | $31,891 | $31,655 | -0.7% |
| Double J Cattle, LLC | $11,913 | $30,735 | 158% |
| Patsy R. Hoover | $19,996 | $27,413 | 37.1% |
| David H. Greiner | $23,026 | $24,138 | 4.8% |
| Roderick F. Paul | $19,321 | $23,665 | 22.5% |
| Alan Canady | $44,129 | $23,490 | -46.8% |
| Dave Hunt | $11,319 | $23,208 | 105% |
| Kenneth E Myers Irrevocable Living Trust | $0 | $22,044 | -- |
| Margaret R Myers Irrevocable Living Trust | $0 | $22,044 | -- |
| Rebecca D. Clark | $20,950 | $20,950 | 0% |
| Jennie M. Schultz | $10,252 | $16,566 | 61.6% |
| Chet Hettinga | $7,774 | $16,452 | 111.6% |
| Craig R. Flitton | $0 | $13,798 | -- |
| Thomas G. Schott | $13,342 | $12,743 | -4.5% |
| Canyon Farm Operators | $12,462 | $12,464 | 0% |
| Linda Donnelly | $21,382 | $10,691 | -50% |
| Alder Creek Cattle, LLC | $0 | $8,789 | -- |
| James L Humphrey - Humphrey Family Living Trust | $0 | $8,275 | -- |
| Bee Central, Inc. | $0 | $8,050 | -- |
| Lee Homer | $7,227 | $7,332 | 1.5% |
| David C. Oakes | $25,344 | $6,578 | -74% |
| Carmen Oakes | $25,311 | $6,571 | -74% |
| Canyon Properties, LLC | $1,408 | $6,430 | 356.7% |
| Quincy William Brooks | $0 | $4,547 | -- |
| Jason Davis | $2,651 | $4,272 | 61.1% |
| Homer Cattle Company, LLC | $36,528 | $4,168 | -88.6% |
| Donald Peterson | $4,152 | $4,152 | 0% |
| JSN Land and Cattle, LLC | $6,414 | $3,438 | -46.4% |
| Lee Hoover | $34,959 | $3,345 | -90.4% |
| John Frank Asher | $8,534 | $3,114 | -63.5% |
| Herbert Jones | $2,803 | $2,803 | 0% |
| Robert Boothe | $7,569 | $2,767 | -63.4% |
| Wade Page | $0 | $2,642 | -- |
| Ted & Frances Molinari Living Trust | $0 | $2,490 | -- |
| Dan Lickteig | $0 | $2,381 | -- |
| Kaylee A. Griffith | $3,778 | $2,350 | -37.8% |
| Albert Lee Hoover Rvoc Living Trustee | $0 | $2,282 | -- |
| Frank Jaeger | $2,085 | $1,918 | -8% |
| Jennifer Boise | $9,630 | $1,918 | -80.1% |
| William Homer | $6,072 | $1,760 | -71% |
| Brian J Scott - SFA Environmental, LLC | $0 | $1,410 | -- |
| Eleanor Ordway | $0 | $515 | -- |
| Kimberly Williams | $0 | $511 | -- |
| Jessica Gillen | $1,815 | $374 | -79.4% |
| Doug Anderson | $0 | $364 | -- |
| Peggy Lindquist | $0 | $327 | -- |
| James L. Humphrey | $2,107 | $0 | -100% |
| James L Humphrey - Humphrey Famil | $2,781 | $0 | -100% |
| Judy L. Potter | $3,355 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth E Myers Irrevocable Livin | $24,997 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurel K. Laney | $1,919 | $0 | -100% |
| Margaret R Myers Irrevocable Livi | $25,003 | $0 | -100% |
| Ted & Frances Molinari Living Trustee | $1,427 | $0 | -100% |
| Wilson Ranches, LLC | $21,047 | $0 | -100% |
| Matt Williams | $5,315 | $0 | -100% |
| Mortimore Corporation | $77,220 | $0 | -100% |
| William Robert Spoo | $500 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,662,577 | $1,832,832 | -31.2% |
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