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In 2021, 108 farmers in cities within Mecosta County received a total of $914,928 in 213 farm subsidies, a 71% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.2 million in 381 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jernstadt Dairy, LLC | $180,400 | $134,567 | -25.4% |
| Aris Dairy Farm, LLC | $181,664 | $111,830 | -38.4% |
| Carey Farms, LLC | $150,929 | $102,717 | -31.9% |
| Judge Farms, LLC | $198,908 | $74,949 | -62.3% |
| Dennis M. Hoekstra | $61,572 | $71,565 | 16.2% |
| Sackett Potatoes | $1,504,050 | $38,019 | -97.5% |
| Darwin Hopkins/ Hopkins Dairy Farm | $47,922 | $35,160 | -26.6% |
| Peter Peterson | $93,494 | $30,326 | -67.6% |
| Kenneth Vredenburg | $41,485 | $28,501 | -31.3% |
| Merill Wood Products, Inc. | $0 | $26,527 | -- |
| Paul A. Jefts | $62,232 | $21,196 | -65.9% |
| Travis A. Stanley | $26,974 | $20,793 | -22.9% |
| Keith V. Myers | $44,533 | $20,540 | -53.9% |
| Zachary F. Cook | $47,845 | $17,925 | -62.5% |
| Erik J. Lepley | $23,694 | $17,226 | -27.3% |
| Central Michigan Cattle, LLC | $45,359 | $16,388 | -63.9% |
| Hyde Farms, LLC | $21,374 | $11,152 | -47.8% |
| Troy J. Bittner | $12,958 | $9,989 | -22.9% |
| C & T Carlson Dairy Farm, LLC | $27,109 | $9,601 | -64.6% |
| Clare F. Cook | $17,760 | $9,364 | -47.3% |
| Deborah A. Irwin | $8,277 | $6,463 | -21.9% |
| Rick Foos | $10,813 | $5,976 | -44.7% |
| Bruce F. Carey | $31,505 | $3,919 | -87.6% |
| Steven R. Cramer | $12,344 | $3,812 | -69.1% |
| Shirley Sprague | $1,689 | $3,724 | 120.5% |
| BWT Farms, LLC | $11,166 | $3,338 | -70.1% |
| David Morgan | $8,222 | $3,334 | -59.5% |
| Paul J. Spindler | $3,790 | $3,285 | -13.3% |
| John Alan Boyd | $4,056 | $3,196 | -21.2% |
| Thomas B Lodden | $4,571 | $3,186 | -30.3% |
| Larry M. Denhof | $5,634 | $3,142 | -44.2% |
| Jamie D Park | $5,297 | $2,889 | -45.5% |
| Robert Robert M. Chambersrevocabletrust M. Chambers | $2,780 | $2,780 | 0% |
| Nathan Zimmerman | $0 | $2,450 | -- |
| Nathan R. Webster | $10,666 | $2,326 | -78.2% |
| Robert A. Ellison | $5,057 | $2,325 | -54% |
| Christopher P. Harris | $19,843 | $2,134 | -89.2% |
| Gary A. Kranz | $603 | $2,126 | 252.6% |
| Mike Stegewans | $1,995 | $1,997 | 0.1% |
| Allen Jehnzen | $3,909 | $1,912 | -51.1% |
| Travis Peacock | $6,022 | $1,813 | -69.9% |
| J. A. M. Legacy, LLC | $10,200 | $1,759 | -82.8% |
| Adam Snider | $7,575 | $1,678 | -77.8% |
| John J. Doyle Sr. | $3,134 | $1,632 | -47.9% |
| Fodor Farms, LLC | $3,406 | $1,607 | -52.8% |
| Walter L. Tank | $1,545 | $1,545 | 0% |
| Debra Hamler | $0 | $1,493 | -- |
| Luke W. Cornell | $3,625 | $1,452 | -59.9% |
| Milton Benson | $4,751 | $1,433 | -69.8% |
| Beth A. Lewis | $19,305 | $1,417 | -92.7% |
| Lori S. Brock | $2,042 | $1,332 | -34.8% |
| John S. Boyd | $1,757 | $1,265 | -28% |
| Richard A. Sharp | $6,701 | $1,248 | -81.4% |
| Dale E Gould and Kathryn M Gould Revocable Living Trust | $2,450 | $1,230 | -49.8% |
| Herman D. Hartman | $1,160 | $1,185 | 2.2% |
| Clem Schneider | $3,047 | $1,167 | -61.7% |
| Gerald a Mondrella | $2,756 | $1,150 | -58.3% |
| William C Bechaz | $2,413 | $1,115 | -53.8% |
| Glenn T. Patrick | $1,709 | $998 | -41.6% |
| John A. Brockway | $1,216 | $976 | -19.7% |
| James Schwandt | $1,045 | $953 | -8.8% |
| Bryan K. Wilcox | $1,724 | $867 | -49.7% |
| Walter Cain | $5,202 | $857 | -83.5% |
| Gladys J. Szot | $1,240 | $779 | -37.2% |
| Larry Mero | $1,324 | $774 | -41.5% |
| Kay E. Walters | $0 | $700 | -- |
| 2 Men & a Hen, LLC | $3,635 | $691 | -81% |
| Linda J Bechaz | $675 | $672 | -0.4% |
| Eldon Sprague | $691 | $629 | -9% |
| John P. Meerman | $3,238 | $608 | -81.2% |
| Tyler Martin | $3,313 | $600 | -81.9% |
| Michael Obert | $2,254 | $570 | -74.7% |
| Elmer Vanalstine | $606 | $568 | -6.3% |
| Brent G Bazaire | $3,291 | $522 | -84.1% |
| Frederick L. Smith | $763 | $508 | -33.4% |
| Karl L. Verrill | $492 | $492 | 0% |
| Vicky L Spedowski | $1,193 | $452 | -62.1% |
| Dorothy Burch | $413 | $413 | 0% |
| Lacey Lain Bark | $470 | $369 | -21.5% |
| Doris C. Rogers | $943 | $361 | -61.7% |
| Randall W. Jancek | $321 | $321 | 0% |
| Donald W. Campbell | $326 | $294 | -9.8% |
| Barry L Bazaire | $703 | $264 | -62.4% |
| Gary D. Skinner | $641 | $259 | -59.6% |
| Sue Ann Carpenter | $1,596 | $200 | -87.5% |
| Gordon L. Galloway | $1,465 | $149 | -89.8% |
| John R. Johnson | $0 | $123 | -- |
| Dale M. Cousineau | $439 | $91 | -79.3% |
| Blaine Newberry | $868 | $78 | -91% |
| Linda K. Cole | $151 | $73 | -51.7% |
| Joanne Emmons | $0 | $72 | -- |
| Julia A. Houghton | $218 | $65 | -70.2% |
| Carolyn Olsen-Smith | $216 | $61 | -71.8% |
| Charlie L. Kohler | $1,411 | $46 | -96.7% |
| Eric L. McNeilly | $518 | $42 | -91.9% |
| Curtis L. Yerger | $454 | $36 | -92.1% |
| Krystina L. Flynn | $0 | $34 | -- |
| Betty L. Stilson | $0 | $30 | -- |
| Ronald E. Rehkopf | $97 | $29 | -70.1% |
| Thomas McCubbin | $108 | $28 | -74.1% |
| Brent D. Beemer | $0 | $21 | -- |
| Catherine A. Martin | $66 | $20 | -69.7% |
| John F. Bush | $67 | $16 | -76.1% |
| Gerald M. Lintemuth | $132 | $13 | -90.2% |
| Christine Arndt | $100 | $13 | -87% |
| Max Goltz | $379 | $12 | -96.8% |
| John D. Stadtfeld | $187 | $6 | -96.8% |
| Kevin L. Garbow | $28 | $3 | -89.3% |
| Anastasia Sherman | $2,035 | $0 | -100% |
| Heidi Bird | $8,910 | $0 | -100% |
| John F. Emmons | $293 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry W. Mitchell | $249 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Fuller | $2,475 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy Hillman | $863 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy J. Randall | $72 | $0 | -100% |
| Ole's Farm, LLC | $61 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger Aris | $2,751 | $0 | -100% |
| Roland F. Walters | $700 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Schuberg | $467 | $0 | -100% |
| Leila M. Minkel | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth W. Ramsey | $146 | $0 | -100% |
| Lester J Gemmen | $57,472 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael V. Hopkins | $2,011 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas G. Rorabaugh | $82 | $0 | -100% |
| Tim Malina | $112 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolyn Hayner-Wilber | $107 | $0 | -100% |
| Tiffany Davis Spedowski | $2,862 | $0 | -100% |
| Troy D. Smith | $490 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,152,524 | $914,928 | -71% |
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