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In 2021, 94 farmers in cities within Keya Paha County received a total of $1 million in 149 farm subsidies, a 71.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.7 million in 288 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRI R Farms, Inc. | $485,005 | $146,467 | -69.8% |
| Kevin R. Mizner | $103,405 | $85,562 | -17.3% |
| Erik Johnson | $164,888 | $56,596 | -65.7% |
| Carma L. James | $15,734 | $53,366 | 239.2% |
| Ernest Hallock | $145,147 | $48,603 | -66.5% |
| Taber Family, Inc. | $57,133 | $42,619 | -25.4% |
| James Ferguson Enterprises, Ltd. | $401,648 | $42,319 | -89.5% |
| Chad Swim | $0 | $35,664 | -- |
| Vernon van Epps | $113,791 | $28,632 | -74.8% |
| Russell Richey | $121,256 | $27,145 | -77.6% |
| Heerten Bros | $91,213 | $24,443 | -73.2% |
| Mundorf Ranch Partnership | $77,555 | $24,209 | -68.8% |
| Bruce J. Palmer | $118,246 | $21,788 | -81.6% |
| Jerry Cook | $68,559 | $20,914 | -69.5% |
| Steve A. Hallock | $75,036 | $20,810 | -72.3% |
| Russell Wentworth | $63,644 | $18,432 | -71% |
| Rory Swim | $18,018 | $16,332 | -9.4% |
| Rodney Gierau | $39,239 | $15,615 | -60.2% |
| Meredith Worth | $3,599 | $13,739 | 281.7% |
| Kirk Bruns | $83,817 | $13,559 | -83.8% |
| Greg Swim | $48,827 | $12,852 | -73.7% |
| Jason W. Rutar | $87,598 | $12,456 | -85.8% |
| Neri Barstow | $49,658 | $11,872 | -76.1% |
| Rick Carr | $59,191 | $10,377 | -82.5% |
| Donald D. Linse | $68,075 | $10,048 | -85.2% |
| Clint Focken | $57,001 | $9,905 | -82.6% |
| Cronk Brothers Dairy Ptnrship | $38,368 | $9,659 | -74.8% |
| Stanley Cook | $36,499 | $8,955 | -75.5% |
| Malvern Worth | $55,417 | $8,011 | -85.5% |
| Clayton Painter | $24,714 | $7,916 | -68% |
| Gary Ludemann | $49,966 | $7,851 | -84.3% |
| Mike Vigoren | $35,121 | $7,808 | -77.8% |
| Brett J Gierau | $26,459 | $7,381 | -72.1% |
| Rodney D. Ferguson | $31,060 | $6,812 | -78.1% |
| Anthony Titus | $31,176 | $6,598 | -78.8% |
| KP Epke Ranch, LLC | $33,592 | $5,888 | -82.5% |
| Chad Ludemann | $37,893 | $5,861 | -84.5% |
| Jim Ruther | $24,684 | $5,352 | -78.3% |
| Monty J. Painter | $35,193 | $5,309 | -84.9% |
| Ernest Larsen | $31,062 | $5,251 | -83.1% |
| Ricky Swim | $12,624 | $5,195 | -58.8% |
| Drayton Cronk | $20,325 | $5,061 | -75.1% |
| Kevin Schoettger | $23,302 | $4,924 | -78.9% |
| Larry Titus | $24,316 | $4,876 | -79.9% |
| Terry Joe McCarthy | $6,398 | $4,816 | -24.7% |
| Kaye M. Thiede | $22,616 | $4,706 | -79.2% |
| Vanessa Kenaston | $12,305 | $4,604 | -62.6% |
| Jason Fleming | $24,148 | $4,492 | -81.4% |
| Patrick Heerten | $20,627 | $4,251 | -79.4% |
| Ryan R. Fowler | $18,634 | $4,071 | -78.2% |
| Darrel Deterding | $31,172 | $3,964 | -87.3% |
| Rodney D Schoettger | $14,899 | $3,779 | -74.6% |
| Zane J. Snyder | $14,472 | $3,585 | -75.2% |
| Shane Len Lewis | $0 | $3,078 | -- |
| Jed Snyder | $14,001 | $2,984 | -78.7% |
| Justin Palmer | $16,435 | $2,779 | -83.1% |
| Matthew Swim | $0 | $2,760 | -- |
| Nathan Swim | $6,436 | $2,607 | -59.5% |
| George Mizner | $7,246 | $2,505 | -65.4% |
| TNT Wilderness Group, LLC | $7,399 | $2,383 | -67.8% |
| Brannon Ranch Company | $6,738 | $2,303 | -65.8% |
| Steve Libolt | $13,574 | $2,215 | -83.7% |
| Melvin Gibson | $7,470 | $2,056 | -72.5% |
| Corey Nilson | $7,660 | $1,846 | -75.9% |
| Mitch Worth | $6,300 | $1,727 | -72.6% |
| Randy R. Painter | $4,898 | $1,721 | -64.9% |
| William C. Miller | $5,346 | $1,721 | -67.8% |
| T5 Ranch, LLC | $38,804 | $1,698 | -95.6% |
| Robert E. Painter | $4,770 | $1,667 | -65.1% |
| Jonathan George Cook | $5,082 | $1,601 | -68.5% |
| Matthew J. Stephen | $6,457 | $1,542 | -76.1% |
| Thomas M. Munk | $3,729 | $1,454 | -61% |
| Sheri M. Clay | $5,933 | $1,202 | -79.7% |
| Lorraine A. Worth | $5,658 | $1,146 | -79.7% |
| Kurtis Mizner | $5,839 | $1,119 | -80.8% |
| Talefeathers, LLP | $0 | $1,029 | -- |
| Richard Thiede | $4,807 | $994 | -79.3% |
| Jerry Portenier | $7,592 | $880 | -88.4% |
| Zak Palmer | $2,887 | $802 | -72.2% |
| Carl Nilson | $3,458 | $666 | -80.7% |
| Nancy L. Bartos | $633 | $633 | 0% |
| Roberta Painter | $2,820 | $625 | -77.8% |
| Benny L. Painter | $5,828 | $595 | -89.8% |
| Kyle Linse | $4,191 | $564 | -86.5% |
| Ty Palmer | $2,055 | $534 | -74% |
| Kory Mizner | $3,004 | $530 | -82.4% |
| Reagan Wiebelhaus | $2,432 | $506 | -79.2% |
| Ronald L. Braun | $2,365 | $506 | -78.6% |
| Darrel D. Titus | $2,488 | $457 | -81.6% |
| Shawn Heyden | $6,884 | $412 | -94% |
| Seth Grunhaupt | $3,084 | $340 | -89% |
| Cody McGee | $1,163 | $228 | -80.4% |
| Matthew Larsen | $1,074 | $195 | -81.8% |
| Keith Mizner | $451 | $90 | -80% |
| Andrew Steinhauser | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Paul Sears | $1,980 | $0 | -100% |
| Dean L. Bretschneider | $11,684 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward D. Titus | $6,820 | $0 | -100% |
| Gale M Larrington | $11,330 | $0 | -100% |
| Jane R. Bretschneider | $1,836 | $0 | -100% |
| John H. Smith | $3,272 | $0 | -100% |
| Lee Dale Schrader | $4,950 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger O. Wentworth | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger V. Swim | $1,967 | $0 | -100% |
| Ron Wells | $15,334 | $0 | -100% |
| Shannon S. Fleming | $3,327 | $0 | -100% |
| Vanessa J. Kenaston | $9,398 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,664,384 | $1,036,000 | -71.7% |
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