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In 2021, 101 farmers in cities within Wheeler County received a total of $1.2 million in 143 farm subsidies, an 82.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $7 million in 395 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herd Cattle, LLC | $1,284,605 | $159,659 | -87.6% |
| Warren J Olson Ranch, Inc. | $437,116 | $74,815 | -82.9% |
| Travis Charles Sprout | $130,341 | $52,159 | -60% |
| McCain Farms | $208,502 | $50,206 | -75.9% |
| DMR Agent, LLC | $196,558 | $44,385 | -77.4% |
| Michael L Usasz Revocable Trust | $173,291 | $41,693 | -75.9% |
| Scott L. Plugge | $161,632 | $36,110 | -77.7% |
| Kris J. Luoma | $63,939 | $32,897 | -48.5% |
| Eleanor Janell Ita | $166,878 | $31,032 | -81.4% |
| Robert Clarence Ita | $167,036 | $31,032 | -81.4% |
| DT Pokorny Cattle, LLC | $187,732 | $31,006 | -83.5% |
| ZR Farms, LLC | $115,567 | $29,372 | -74.6% |
| Steve McKay | $122,182 | $28,479 | -76.7% |
| DRY Cedar Ranch, LLC | $316,068 | $23,880 | -92.4% |
| Gregory M. Gehl | $113,358 | $21,416 | -81.1% |
| David L. Benson | $81,495 | $21,056 | -74.2% |
| Larry L. Kaczor | $71,687 | $20,932 | -70.8% |
| Jaguar Ferrari Tonniges | $103,740 | $20,592 | -80.2% |
| Larry L. Larsen | $87,942 | $19,273 | -78.1% |
| Garrett M. Dwyer | $77,253 | $18,962 | -75.5% |
| Robert P. Pelster | $76,873 | $18,746 | -75.6% |
| Riley N. Renner | $89,819 | $17,956 | -80% |
| James D. Brinkman | $142,878 | $17,608 | -87.7% |
| James a Bodyfield | $72,398 | $15,972 | -77.9% |
| Ted Douglas Allemang | $72,952 | $15,632 | -78.6% |
| David A. Reich | $97,990 | $14,790 | -84.9% |
| Gene T Schmeits | $101,690 | $14,394 | -85.8% |
| Charles Patrick Mahony | $89,972 | $13,160 | -85.4% |
| Mark Landgren | $69,931 | $12,584 | -82% |
| Adam Freouf | $70,694 | $12,197 | -82.7% |
| Pelster Brothers | $48,697 | $11,751 | -75.9% |
| Craig Bredthauer | $100,349 | $10,783 | -89.3% |
| Mitchell Bredthauer | $72,310 | $10,647 | -85.3% |
| James William Havel | $37,361 | $10,281 | -72.5% |
| A-Bar Farms, LLC | $13,975 | $10,048 | -28.1% |
| Brad Kasselder | $18,181 | $10,046 | -44.7% |
| Scott Patrick | $40,738 | $9,167 | -77.5% |
| Nancy E. Pelster | $39,891 | $8,866 | -77.8% |
| KFS Land & Cattle, Inc. | $8,800 | $8,800 | 0% |
| Zachary Lee Wright | $30,204 | $8,700 | -71.2% |
| Carl Leland Nichols | $47,060 | $8,654 | -81.6% |
| Dennis Pokorny | $46,446 | $6,855 | -85.2% |
| Cole C. Patrick | $16,348 | $6,730 | -58.8% |
| Michele Lea Usasz-Wells | $0 | $6,331 | -- |
| Douglas Nichols | $40,946 | $6,227 | -84.8% |
| Bryan Anderson | $13,454 | $6,048 | -55% |
| David N. Smith | $54,227 | $5,752 | -89.4% |
| Gerald Allen Smith | $37,584 | $5,733 | -84.7% |
| Jeremy Schwager | $12,929 | $5,580 | -56.8% |
| David J. Pelster | $2,923 | $5,514 | 88.6% |
| Ryan James Bodyfield | $31,203 | $5,395 | -82.7% |
| Curtis Weber | $39,049 | $5,257 | -86.5% |
| Cody James Havel | $17,505 | $4,761 | -72.8% |
| Daryl a Hoefener | $17,191 | $4,433 | -74.2% |
| Matthew J. Landgren | $28,031 | $4,155 | -85.2% |
| Dwight A. Nichols | $52,112 | $4,116 | -92.1% |
| Brandi Pokorny | $21,167 | $4,050 | -80.9% |
| Allen D. Heiden | $17,703 | $3,288 | -81.4% |
| Travis W. Patrick | $11,091 | $3,165 | -71.5% |
| Chad Plugge | $10,328 | $2,743 | -73.4% |
| Richard Alan Renner | $344,353 | $2,701 | -99.2% |
| Buckles Kruml, LLC | $20,345 | $2,698 | -86.7% |
| David L. Clouse | $14,456 | $2,520 | -82.6% |
| Roy R. Plugge | $8,854 | $2,488 | -71.9% |
| Kevin C. Willard | $5,749 | $2,303 | -59.9% |
| Travis A. Reich | $5,743 | $2,295 | -60% |
| Sam Brinkman | $16,081 | $2,224 | -86.2% |
| Martin Wid | $12,786 | $2,208 | -82.7% |
| David L. Hoerle | $23,751 | $1,906 | -92% |
| Dawn R. Erickson | $2,698 | $1,893 | -29.8% |
| Louis B. Genereux | $1,551 | $1,856 | 19.7% |
| Zachary Thramer | $6,984 | $1,757 | -74.8% |
| Kenneth Pelster | $7,711 | $1,587 | -79.4% |
| Robert Swett | $21,402 | $1,563 | -92.7% |
| Jesse L. Plugge | $5,806 | $1,552 | -73.3% |
| David B. Mignery | $10,246 | $1,548 | -84.9% |
| Kenneth R Kasselder | $11,043 | $1,508 | -86.3% |
| Lawrence H. Day | $7,401 | $1,506 | -79.7% |
| Clinton M. Kruml | $12,052 | $1,444 | -88% |
| Jeffrey L. Miller | $48,590 | $1,372 | -97.2% |
| Tony Guggenmos | $6,744 | $1,329 | -80.3% |
| Whitley Mark McBride | $5,397 | $1,326 | -75.4% |
| Joan L. Ita | $1,287 | $1,287 | 0% |
| Daniel Pelster | $7,070 | $1,210 | -82.9% |
| Mark Dwyer | $10,473 | $1,195 | -88.6% |
| Jace Carrol McKay | $9,119 | $1,146 | -87.4% |
| Arthur L. Genereux | $2,310 | $1,042 | -54.9% |
| Joellyn Clouse | $4,213 | $1,038 | -75.4% |
| David L. Mignery | $4,378 | $996 | -77.2% |
| James Joseph Eschliman | $6,620 | $776 | -88.3% |
| Karen D. Genereux | $2,882 | $698 | -75.8% |
| Jamie Lynn Havel | $2,420 | $690 | -71.5% |
| K and S Performance Horses, Inc. | $4,722 | $658 | -86.1% |
| 83 Land & Cattle, LLC | $0 | $550 | -- |
| David Reineke | $2,189 | $481 | -78% |
| Jane a Qualm | $1,005 | $319 | -68.3% |
| Joel Qualm | $1,005 | $319 | -68.3% |
| Joe Thramer | $442 | $315 | -28.7% |
| Bret A. Schlenger | $20,698 | $102 | -99.5% |
| Cooper Pierce Tonniges | $524 | $66 | -87.4% |
| Matthew Kurpgeweit | $154 | $42 | -72.7% |
| Arthur L. Genereux | $6,810 | $0 | -100% |
| Caleb Pelster | $9,323 | $0 | -100% |
| Frances M. Clark | $6,459 | $0 | -100% |
| Helen Hall | $26 | $0 | -100% |
| Kasselder Enterprises | $179 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney Clark Revocable Trust | $53,530 | $0 | -100% |
| Shelley Brozek | $9,168 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven Hisel | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Adeline Nelson | $1,269 | $0 | -100% |
| Clayton H. Schlenger | $1,557 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel R. Carstens | $17,827 | $0 | -100% |
| James Frank Usasz | $52,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Kay E. Johnson | $1,411 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall D. Butterfield | $3,868 | $0 | -100% |
| Royce Miller | $5,005 | $0 | -100% |
| Travis Smith | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| William Ziegler | $79,391 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $7,012,059 | $1,200,385 | -82.9% |
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