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In 2021, 91 farmers in cities within Kenosha County received a total of $837,054 in 173 farm subsidies, a 57.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2 million in 304 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elfering Farms, LLC | $164,693 | $94,433 | -42.7% |
| Production Unlimited, LLC | $134,764 | $84,895 | -37% |
| Ked Partners | $129,661 | $62,051 | -52.1% |
| Gitzlaff Farms, Inc. | $207,334 | $56,016 | -73% |
| Brent Nelson | $166,129 | $42,146 | -74.6% |
| Gary Nelson Farms, Inc. | $153,595 | $42,146 | -72.6% |
| Richard Louis Daly | $53,596 | $40,368 | -24.7% |
| David A. Kirchner | $48,663 | $37,956 | -22% |
| Elmer Weis | $72,201 | $29,585 | -59% |
| John Kevek Farms, Inc. | $78,146 | $28,011 | -64.2% |
| Justin C. Weis | $69,374 | $26,698 | -61.5% |
| Jay R. Sorensen | $34,942 | $18,220 | -47.9% |
| Joanne L. Henderson | $17,858 | $17,858 | 0% |
| Terry Brothers Grain Farm, LLC | $37,802 | $16,589 | -56.1% |
| Steven W. McCuen | $38,194 | $12,915 | -66.2% |
| Gallo Revocable Trust | $12,254 | $12,254 | 0% |
| K T Pro, Inc. | $29,103 | $12,228 | -58% |
| J. Smith Farms, Inc. | $121,323 | $11,527 | -90.5% |
| David Morey | $11,307 | $11,056 | -2.2% |
| Helen B King, LLC | $0 | $10,887 | -- |
| Richard Moschell | $9,591 | $9,591 | 0% |
| Robert F. Fliess Jr. | $26,098 | $9,312 | -64.3% |
| Emil M Mravec Revocable Trust Dated 4-15-2009 | $0 | $9,092 | -- |
| James Fonk | $8,173 | $7,726 | -5.5% |
| Chris Leker | $47,450 | $7,503 | -84.2% |
| Patricia A. Saunders | $0 | $7,348 | -- |
| Daniel Weidman | $29,940 | $6,989 | -76.7% |
| Glenn E. Fenske | $24,022 | $6,665 | -72.3% |
| Michael H Williams Revocable Trust | $6,297 | $6,297 | 0% |
| Karen A. Arseneau | $4,322 | $6,062 | 40.3% |
| Russell Road Farm, LLC | $0 | $5,445 | -- |
| Kevin Muhlenbeck | $16,560 | $5,332 | -67.8% |
| Charles O. Terry | $10,537 | $4,910 | -53.4% |
| Ram Rod Gun Club | $4,565 | $4,565 | 0% |
| Donald Lininger | $13,549 | $4,335 | -68% |
| Carl H. Walter | $8,051 | $4,303 | -46.6% |
| Jeffery A. Schaefer | $7,714 | $3,880 | -49.7% |
| Cimarron Claflin | $3,913 | $3,743 | -4.3% |
| J & R Steinbrink Farms, LLC | $12,509 | $3,648 | -70.8% |
| Bruce Spangler - Bruce W Spangler and Colleen J Spangler Rev | $5,147 | $3,167 | -38.5% |
| Kent R. Castle | $2,162 | $3,001 | 38.8% |
| Kurt T. Flint | $2,978 | $2,978 | 0% |
| Scott Van Slochteren | $9,733 | $2,899 | -70.2% |
| Weidman Brothers' Farm | $7,502 | $2,586 | -65.5% |
| Mark K. Edquist | $2,211 | $2,275 | 2.9% |
| Hector Velazquez | $4,801 | $2,039 | -57.5% |
| Richard Tanner Jr. | $1,896 | $1,896 | 0% |
| Thomas N Orendorff - Thomas Orendorff Living Trust | $0 | $1,785 | -- |
| Francis D. Rasch | $1,738 | $1,738 | 0% |
| Thomas C. Jackson | $3,543 | $1,635 | -53.9% |
| Dana W. Smither | $2,488 | $1,554 | -37.5% |
| Marvin Drissel | $2,533 | $1,529 | -39.6% |
| Stuart Schneider | $1,454 | $1,454 | 0% |
| Joe Kolnik | $2,967 | $1,386 | -53.3% |
| Gary Dabbs | $2,045 | $1,357 | -33.6% |
| John R. Thibodeau | $4,113 | $1,227 | -70.2% |
| Eunice L. Jewell | $0 | $1,212 | -- |
| Brenda S. George | $0 | $1,194 | -- |
| Charles B Short SR and Charlotte M Short Living Trust Dated | $3,730 | $1,173 | -68.6% |
| Larry G. Leiting | $1,271 | $1,117 | -12.1% |
| Tom E. Leiting | $1,267 | $1,113 | -12.2% |
| Stevenson Heirs | $967 | $967 | 0% |
| Art Fonk | $1,033 | $881 | -14.7% |
| Matthew D. Kurt | $3,195 | $843 | -73.6% |
| Jan Rogers | $277 | $828 | 198.9% |
| David John Hebior | $827 | $774 | -6.4% |
| Ingebritson/Peterson Heritage Farm, LLC | $774 | $680 | -12.1% |
| Charles C Koontz Dec of Trust No 101 | $655 | $655 | 0% |
| Geneta J Koontz Dec of Trust No 102 | $655 | $655 | 0% |
| Marcia L. Clifford | $518 | $518 | 0% |
| Michael Terry | $9,607 | $497 | -94.8% |
| Esther K. Wilson | $274 | $493 | 79.9% |
| Kathryn Helgeson | $455 | $455 | 0% |
| Barbara J. Binder | $429 | $429 | 0% |
| Leslie N. Skinner | $581 | $387 | -33.4% |
| John Frederick | $0 | $369 | -- |
| Eric T. Zilisch | $222 | $329 | 48.2% |
| Edward Simanek | $291 | $326 | 12% |
| Aaron Fenske | $2,716 | $283 | -89.6% |
| Anthony L. Ewing | $253 | $253 | 0% |
| Phillip Scheckel | $763 | $250 | -67.2% |
| Mark S. Lefever | $253 | $226 | -10.7% |
| Krsto Kovacevic | $207 | $207 | 0% |
| David Wisnefski | $1,001 | $201 | -79.9% |
| David E. Vineyard | $554 | $197 | -64.4% |
| Carol Shadduck | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Theodore Padgett | $390 | $143 | -63.3% |
| Mark E. Skarda | $0 | $75 | -- |
| Sally Standiford - Standiford Family Trust | $79 | $35 | -55.7% |
| Dennis D Vignieri | $2,585 | $28 | -98.9% |
| Todd Destree | $318 | $12 | -96.2% |
| Charles Maurer | $580 | $0 | -100% |
| Garnet Schwertfeger Trustee - Irrev | $377 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald Geyso | $1,186 | $0 | -100% |
| Greg Broerman | $776 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeff L. Western | $48 | $0 | -100% |
| Judith S. Rossow | $2,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Lyla K Hermans-Robert J Hermans & Lyla K Hermans | $2,682 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark A. Gardinier | $2,134 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin Drissel | $2,944 | $0 | -100% |
| Sok S. Lee | $9,781 | $0 | -100% |
| Jay R. Sorensen | $6,942 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Waldon | $5,561 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Schick-the Donald and Betty Schick Trust | $893 | $0 | -100% |
| Emil M Mravec Revocable Trust Dat | $24,429 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,968,476 | $837,054 | -57.5% |
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