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In 2021, 80 farmers in cities within Osceola County received a total of $850,062 in 176 farm subsidies, a 60.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.2 million in 313 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wirth Farms, LLC | $941,023 | $281,661 | -70.1% |
| Midget Mountain Dairy, LLC | $89,324 | $104,716 | 17.2% |
| Moon Lit Woods, LLC | $101,395 | $82,550 | -18.6% |
| Holger-Lrs Farm, LLC | $68,704 | $30,749 | -55.2% |
| Grindstone Farms, LLC | $23,852 | $26,658 | 11.8% |
| Jerry Mitchell | $83,931 | $25,535 | -69.6% |
| Rehkopf Farms, LLC | $107,117 | $24,027 | -77.6% |
| Robert J. Morlock | $92,393 | $20,899 | -77.4% |
| David B. Hahn | $26,650 | $20,406 | -23.4% |
| Schooley Farms, LLC | $92,199 | $16,563 | -82% |
| Darwin D. Eichenberg | $50,545 | $14,863 | -70.6% |
| Kevin Todd | $47,487 | $14,624 | -69.2% |
| Carmichael Farms, LLC | $18,742 | $14,282 | -23.8% |
| Chad Springe | $0 | $13,073 | -- |
| Steve Fenton Jr. | $13,153 | $11,923 | -9.4% |
| Chad E. Nicklas | $23,101 | $11,336 | -50.9% |
| Marvin Stein Stein R. Farms | $14,325 | $11,002 | -23.2% |
| Hilhof Farm Dairy | $11,083 | $10,545 | -4.9% |
| Troy J. Lyons | $14,097 | $7,630 | -45.9% |
| David D. Elder | $53,741 | $6,059 | -88.7% |
| Apsey Farm, LLC | $11,697 | $5,377 | -54% |
| Robert Stowe | $12,079 | $5,247 | -56.6% |
| James L. Stieg | $2,982 | $4,661 | 56.3% |
| John Viers | $8,105 | $4,401 | -45.7% |
| Keith Fewless | $4,117 | $4,340 | 5.4% |
| James R. Schooley | $6,756 | $4,091 | -39.4% |
| Yarhouse Farms, LLC | $13,033 | $3,693 | -71.7% |
| Forest L Custer JR | $6,638 | $3,471 | -47.7% |
| Terry F. Custer Sr. | $3,600 | $3,187 | -11.5% |
| Maynard Bluhm | $3,630 | $3,093 | -14.8% |
| Robert W. Vanassche Jr. | $4,243 | $2,794 | -34.2% |
| Nancy Vanassche | $16,497 | $2,717 | -83.5% |
| Randy Lee Pontz | $1,190 | $2,696 | 126.6% |
| Brian P. Erler | $6,610 | $2,654 | -59.8% |
| Ronald Vanassche | $10,034 | $2,461 | -75.5% |
| Gary Bengry | $0 | $2,310 | -- |
| Gary Lee Wemple | $2,444 | $2,290 | -6.3% |
| Arthur Schmidt | $5,405 | $2,284 | -57.7% |
| Angela Ann Shearer | $0 | $2,202 | -- |
| James T. Carmichael | $5,952 | $2,035 | -65.8% |
| Michael W Theunick | $3,064 | $1,986 | -35.2% |
| Mary Jane Bills | $3,432 | $1,909 | -44.4% |
| Heather Solis | $0 | $1,815 | -- |
| John M. Cook | $7,861 | $1,791 | -77.2% |
| Wanda Kailing | $4,957 | $1,778 | -64.1% |
| Thomas J. Bluhm | $2,913 | $1,767 | -39.3% |
| Jack Thornton | $6,107 | $1,714 | -71.9% |
| Terry Anderson | $1,702 | $1,702 | 0% |
| Mary Ann Beilfuss | $1,824 | $1,678 | -8% |
| Carri Anne Morlock-Kearns | $3,287 | $1,500 | -54.4% |
| Jordan Mitchell | $3,489 | $1,481 | -57.6% |
| David Nicklas | $4,411 | $1,432 | -67.5% |
| Alan Dale Salinas | $11,169 | $1,250 | -88.8% |
| Kailings Rocky Ridge Farm, LLC | $1,080 | $1,203 | 11.4% |
| Paul L. Owens | $3,832 | $1,193 | -68.9% |
| Philip E. Pritchard | $5,904 | $1,048 | -82.2% |
| Eric N. Salinas | $4,980 | $1,015 | -79.6% |
| Booher Farm, LLC | $1,826 | $835 | -54.3% |
| Scott McLachlan | $4,293 | $701 | -83.7% |
| John M Straathof | $2,502 | $684 | -72.7% |
| Martha Y. Hartman | $5,209 | $681 | -86.9% |
| Kim Langworthy | $1,657 | $598 | -63.9% |
| George McLachlan Jr. | $1,430 | $553 | -61.3% |
| Gregory A. Blanchard | $6,867 | $526 | -92.3% |
| Rick Wildermuth | $1,132 | $525 | -53.6% |
| Twin Lakes Calf Company, LLC | $38,781 | $504 | -98.7% |
| John M. Bruske Sr. | $1,319 | $479 | -63.7% |
| Gerald Lindquist | $1,881 | $440 | -76.6% |
| John Langworthy | $1,496 | $384 | -74.3% |
| John M. Schooley | $329 | $350 | 6.4% |
| John F. Vokes | $203 | $306 | 50.7% |
| Justin Wanstead | $1,221 | $306 | -74.9% |
| Benjamin L Theunick | $391 | $280 | -28.4% |
| Bruce Ferguson | $0 | $179 | -- |
| Derek J. Maney | $818 | $131 | -84% |
| Darwin B. Norman | $4,265 | $95 | -97.8% |
| Guy Forman | $103 | $60 | -41.7% |
| Kevin Boyd | $56 | $41 | -26.8% |
| Joseph R. Cruikshank | $1,833 | $29 | -98.4% |
| John M. Vokes | $5 | $8 | 60% |
| Loren Gerber | $83 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Eisenga | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond Gerber | $83 | $0 | -100% |
| Betty Seelye | $3,409 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Wein | $64 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley Park | $1,265 | $0 | -100% |
| Dwayne D. Eichenberg | $14,332 | $0 | -100% |
| Garlein Dadles | $274 | $0 | -100% |
| Jess Alan Erler | $2,530 | $0 | -100% |
| John Kailing | $128 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel B. Swiler | $1,760 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,171,081 | $850,062 | -60.8% |
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