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In 2021, 99 farmers in cities within Sweetwater County received a total of $2.2 million in 194 farm subsidies, a 20.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.8 million in 235 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretty Water, LLC | $194,429 | $221,352 | 13.8% |
| Vermillion Ranch Limited Partnership | $0 | $195,539 | -- |
| W & M Thoman Ranches, LLC | $120,843 | $172,622 | 42.8% |
| Eaton Livestock, LLC | $119,281 | $159,716 | 33.9% |
| Triple a Cattle Company | $66,969 | $115,796 | 72.9% |
| Ready Livestock Company, LLC | $0 | $92,640 | -- |
| GZ Livestock | $91,400 | $79,541 | -13% |
| William H. Jolley | $122,175 | $79,126 | -35.2% |
| Betty a Applequist Revocable Trust | $0 | $71,348 | -- |
| Dunton Sheep Company | $80,193 | $62,790 | -21.7% |
| South Fork Sheep Company | $76,130 | $61,939 | -18.6% |
| G & E Livestock, Inc. | $37,413 | $61,405 | 64.1% |
| Midland Livestock Company | $75,322 | $59,861 | -20.5% |
| Seth Jones | $57,860 | $44,466 | -23.1% |
| Allen Young | $21,776 | $41,795 | 91.9% |
| Steven D. Slagowski | $0 | $41,175 | -- |
| Edward A. Burton | $174,588 | $39,125 | -77.6% |
| V Quarter Circle V Family Trust | $18,964 | $34,980 | 84.5% |
| Larry Anderson | $64,951 | $33,424 | -48.5% |
| A Mill Iron Angus, LLC | $105,513 | $31,948 | -69.7% |
| Hanks Family Ranch Limited Partnership | $0 | $31,221 | -- |
| Robert L. Anderson | $39,990 | $29,874 | -25.3% |
| Green River Livestock Company | $66,982 | $27,941 | -58.3% |
| Roger A. Jones | $18,199 | $25,545 | 40.4% |
| James F. Eaton | $59,314 | $25,318 | -57.3% |
| Myron Kaml | $24,476 | $24,614 | 0.6% |
| Mcmurry Ranch, LLC | $26,335 | $23,577 | -10.5% |
| X Bar T Ranch, LLC | $28,618 | $23,076 | -19.4% |
| Donald S. Slagowski | $26,401 | $21,710 | -17.8% |
| Carol L. Gardiner | $0 | $17,706 | -- |
| Steve Mines | $36,576 | $16,054 | -56.1% |
| Ben Thoman | $13,621 | $15,804 | 16% |
| James Hodder | $27,430 | $15,091 | -45% |
| Steve Slagowski | $32,401 | $14,171 | -56.3% |
| S3 Livestock, LLC | $13,125 | $11,721 | -10.7% |
| James Rodney Mines | $11,580 | $10,150 | -12.3% |
| Stephen E. Griffin | $12,121 | $10,126 | -16.5% |
| Barry L. Green | $10,185 | $10,108 | -0.8% |
| Spencer Thoman | $10,455 | $9,777 | -6.5% |
| Scott Leroy Johnson | $6,724 | $9,332 | 38.8% |
| John F. Kennedy | $3,356 | $9,211 | 174.5% |
| Lazy S Ranch, LLC | $36,368 | $9,075 | -75% |
| Crosson Ranch, Inc. | $5,610 | $8,595 | 53.2% |
| William C. Schell III | $12,452 | $7,938 | -36.3% |
| Justin W. Gurr | $22,972 | $6,473 | -71.8% |
| Sadlier CS Bar Ranch, LLC. | $3,696 | $6,143 | 66.2% |
| Blake Wollman | $6,086 | $6,086 | 0% |
| Euskadi Ranch, LLC | $0 | $6,017 | -- |
| Miller Land Company, LLC | $16,639 | $6,004 | -63.9% |
| Donald D. Skorcz | $6,686 | $5,985 | -10.5% |
| Griffin Land and Livestock, LLC | $0 | $5,733 | -- |
| Delambert Ranch, LLC | $11,141 | $5,260 | -52.8% |
| James Burnett | $15,850 | $5,248 | -66.9% |
| Daniel P. Dalton | $3,996 | $5,182 | 29.7% |
| Robert Cannon | $4,940 | $4,940 | 0% |
| Lee A. Pendleton | $6,618 | $4,312 | -34.8% |
| Zachery Vasa | $8,976 | $4,220 | -53% |
| Christopher Harns | $19,030 | $4,200 | -77.9% |
| Dixie Sue Suddreth | $3,751 | $3,414 | -9% |
| Bramwell Cattle Company, LLC | $0 | $3,398 | -- |
| Jerimyah Johnson | $15,213 | $3,254 | -78.6% |
| Jerome F. Fletcher | $4,773 | $2,777 | -41.8% |
| Travis P. Baker | $11,891 | $2,744 | -76.9% |
| Duane R. Kerr | $0 | $2,420 | -- |
| Charles C. Bergmeier | $3,201 | $2,275 | -28.9% |
| Myra L. Peak | $4,850 | $2,121 | -56.3% |
| Kelsch Ranch, LLC | $1,538 | $2,050 | 33.3% |
| Michael T. Potter | $3,025 | $1,959 | -35.2% |
| Wayment Land & Livestock, LLC | $8,107 | $1,885 | -76.7% |
| Nelda J. Schrepfer | $1,801 | $1,801 | 0% |
| Lamonte Thomas Hill | $8,338 | $1,786 | -78.6% |
| Larry W. Metz | $0 | $1,745 | -- |
| Dave Potter Jr. | $4,419 | $1,726 | -60.9% |
| Julie Iorg | $3,735 | $1,532 | -59% |
| Jackson Ramsay | $3,190 | $1,299 | -59.3% |
| Justin T. Sweat | $2,986 | $1,219 | -59.2% |
| Jaden Burnett | $7,705 | $1,208 | -84.3% |
| Kaylee Burnett | $7,610 | $1,191 | -84.3% |
| Michael J. Walker | $2,183 | $1,061 | -51.4% |
| Justin Jones | $5,302 | $1,039 | -80.4% |
| Donald E Schmidt Family Trust | $0 | $993 | -- |
| Dorothy M Schmidt Revoc Trust | $0 | $993 | -- |
| William J. Walker | $2,150 | $924 | -57% |
| Lynette Sibley | $1,348 | $907 | -32.7% |
| Rabenland | $3,348 | $759 | -77.3% |
| Samuel W. Ellis | $840 | $750 | -10.7% |
| Lance Herman | $966 | $743 | -23.1% |
| Gary D. Coy | $2,486 | $741 | -70.2% |
| Melissa D. Misner | $2,486 | $649 | -73.9% |
| William Scott Anderson | $1,353 | $628 | -53.6% |
| Ila June Ellis | $1,774 | $560 | -68.4% |
| Thomas Thoman | $2,664 | $540 | -79.7% |
| Ethan D. Croft | $1,870 | $456 | -75.6% |
| Randy Evans | $1,664 | $431 | -74.1% |
| Alma Louise O'Hare Living Trust | $0 | $345 | -- |
| David A. Potter | $1,731 | $237 | -86.3% |
| Charlotte Perkins | $0 | $170 | -- |
| Alyssa Zumpfe | $446 | $155 | -65.2% |
| Anna Copeland | $46 | $30 | -34.8% |
| Deryl J. Sweat | $646 | $0 | -100% |
| Betty a Applequist Revocable Trus | $63,175 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Robert McMurry | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene Carmody | $2,193 | $0 | -100% |
| Hanks Family Ranch Limited Partne | $34,372 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Sue Eaton | $554 | $0 | -100% |
| Carol Gardiner | $16,366 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Potter | $2,169 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas Christensen | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| Lenore Perry | $5,266 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Wayne Chesnovar | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Shone Mitchelson | $10,642 | $0 | -100% |
| Tracie L. Jenkins | $347 | $0 | -100% |
| Vermillion Ranch Limited Partners | $467,355 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,812,151 | $2,239,041 | -20.4% |
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