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In 2021, 50 farmers in cities within Blaine County received a total of $850,897 in 69 farm subsidies, a 73.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.2 million in 137 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TLC Incorporated | $138,781 | $127,538 | -8.1% |
| Zutavern Ranch Company | $400,962 | $80,476 | -79.9% |
| Cc Angus Ranch | $261,357 | $70,713 | -72.9% |
| WM Zutavern Cattle Company | $0 | $69,318 | -- |
| Russell E. Hanson | $59,200 | $61,200 | 3.4% |
| Dennis Wyckoff | $116,426 | $32,961 | -71.7% |
| J. W. Simonson | $111,319 | $27,902 | -74.9% |
| Rolf T. Glerum | $30,274 | $27,456 | -9.3% |
| Lynn Hall | $156,504 | $25,832 | -83.5% |
| Tracy Zoe Bradley | $45,690 | $25,517 | -44.2% |
| Charles E. Dickau | $211,336 | $21,057 | -90% |
| Pennypoke Cattle, LLC | $71,402 | $20,389 | -71.4% |
| R G Enterprises Group, LLC | $82,277 | $17,259 | -79% |
| Roger L. Stewart | $126,803 | $16,705 | -86.8% |
| Matthew John Eggert | $57,145 | $16,397 | -71.3% |
| Patrick D. Coffman | $51,113 | $15,990 | -68.7% |
| Milleson Ranch | $110,172 | $15,475 | -86% |
| Downing Ranch, LLC | $118,054 | $14,912 | -87.4% |
| Rifle Valley Ranch, LLC | $81,541 | $13,123 | -83.9% |
| Jon Peters | $59,147 | $12,148 | -79.5% |
| Steve Bass | $75,851 | $11,956 | -84.2% |
| Justin A. Meister | $69,891 | $11,157 | -84% |
| Richard V. Warren | $61,204 | $10,896 | -82.2% |
| Jay Martindale | $61,267 | $8,911 | -85.5% |
| Kent Sierks | $74,533 | $8,630 | -88.4% |
| John Seeley | $0 | $8,329 | -- |
| Lena Land & Livestock Company | $14,714 | $6,900 | -53.1% |
| Marianne Roseberry | $2,310 | $6,530 | 182.7% |
| Zeta Greene | $21,238 | $6,044 | -71.5% |
| James Roseberry | $858 | $5,877 | 585% |
| Roy A. Spencer | $21,758 | $4,985 | -77.1% |
| Eric Schipporeit | $58,062 | $4,551 | -92.2% |
| Jason Andrew Held | $0 | $4,532 | -- |
| William L. Downing | $12,735 | $4,142 | -67.5% |
| Jeffrey Martindale | $40,007 | $3,973 | -90.1% |
| Troy Saner | $30,505 | $3,844 | -87.4% |
| Rhoades Land & Cattle Company | $0 | $3,800 | -- |
| Don Baker | $16,552 | $3,328 | -79.9% |
| Kurt Saner | $15,411 | $3,214 | -79.1% |
| Alice McFadden | $8,864 | $2,445 | -72.4% |
| Tim L. Sierks | $14,900 | $2,414 | -83.8% |
| Lee R. Odenbach | $4,125 | $2,041 | -50.5% |
| Roger L. Peterson | $7,614 | $1,958 | -74.3% |
| Amy Goodrich | $9,671 | $1,761 | -81.8% |
| Lee Degroff | $7,843 | $1,604 | -79.5% |
| Ty Milleson | $3,168 | $1,174 | -62.9% |
| Marc Peterson | $5,779 | $1,106 | -80.9% |
| Blayne Bradley | $6,512 | $1,031 | -84.2% |
| Shirley Kennedy Gouldie | $1,584 | $828 | -47.7% |
| Benjamin Harold Pickering | $1,617 | $568 | -64.9% |
| Guggenmos River Ranch, Ltd. | $205,699 | $0 | -100% |
| Justin Turner Bradley | $53,405 | $0 | -100% |
| Willis J. Behrens Grantor Trust | $7,845 | $0 | -100% |
| Tedd Teahon | $10,613 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,215,638 | $850,897 | -73.5% |
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