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In 2021, 165 farmers in cities within Owyhee County received a total of $4.8 million in 301 farm subsidies, a 62.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $12.9 million in 443 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Owyhee County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Es Dairy Farm, LLC | $1,500,000 | $870,508 | -42% |
| Deruyter Dairy, LLC | $595,469 | $446,390 | -25% |
| Desert Farms Real Estate, LLC | $0 | $178,884 | -- |
| Jaca Livestock Company, LLC | $405,602 | $167,978 | -58.6% |
| Fryslan Dairy, LLC | $0 | $159,851 | -- |
| Thomas Cattle Company | $679,339 | $136,513 | -79.9% |
| David V. Williams | $239,394 | $128,108 | -46.5% |
| Dennis R. Turner | $296,138 | $125,062 | -57.8% |
| Friends Dairy, LLC | $868,092 | $120,630 | -86.1% |
| Northside Road Dairy, LLC | $55,725 | $120,508 | 116.3% |
| Rock Bottom Dairies, LLC | $286,084 | $120,508 | -57.9% |
| Sandy Flats Dairy | $369,645 | $120,508 | -67.4% |
| Happy Valley Dairy, LLC | $415,746 | $120,508 | -71% |
| Wolfe Brothers, Inc. | $128,164 | $79,376 | -38.1% |
| Roedel Farms, Inc. | $126,742 | $78,940 | -37.7% |
| Anthony J. Richards | $85,492 | $74,117 | -13.3% |
| Leslie Loucks | $162,972 | $70,677 | -56.6% |
| Brackett Ranches LP | $313,234 | $59,800 | -80.9% |
| Wild Oak Honey Farms, LLC | $0 | $59,466 | -- |
| James D. Thomas | $110,648 | $51,442 | -53.5% |
| Jungo Ranches, LLLP | $38,249 | $50,998 | 33.3% |
| Fowers, Inc. | $126,232 | $50,049 | -60.4% |
| Craig W. Brasher | $109,477 | $49,484 | -54.8% |
| Chris D. Unruh | $79,273 | $49,121 | -38% |
| Christopher J. Johnstone | $77,329 | $47,472 | -38.6% |
| Mackenzie Sheep Company, Inc. | $281,208 | $45,873 | -83.7% |
| T. G. Miller Farms, LLC | $97,955 | $45,734 | -53.3% |
| Jerry Meyers | $10,330 | $44,880 | 334.5% |
| Levi R. Loucks | $122,955 | $44,106 | -64.1% |
| Twenty Mile Farms, LLC | $59,907 | $37,716 | -37% |
| Rachael Hailey Burnett | $52,624 | $36,500 | -30.6% |
| Nashco Farms, Inc. | $91,471 | $30,443 | -66.7% |
| Douglas R. Meyers | $13,512 | $29,945 | 121.6% |
| Geoffrey G. King | $231,726 | $28,878 | -87.5% |
| Alan J. Johnstone | $48,972 | $28,700 | -41.4% |
| T & K Farms, Inc. | $387,155 | $26,576 | -93.1% |
| Landa Farms, LLC | $363,693 | $24,668 | -93.2% |
| Steve Lootens | $66,928 | $23,947 | -64.2% |
| Edwards Ranch, LLC | $16,302 | $23,424 | 43.7% |
| Kenton Gale Dirks | $37,305 | $20,862 | -44.1% |
| Ryan J Criffield | $51,020 | $19,804 | -61.2% |
| Kelly Lootens | $47,976 | $19,672 | -59% |
| Debra K. Wilsey | $36,636 | $19,335 | -47.2% |
| Gary Rupp Farms, Inc. | $156,191 | $19,252 | -87.7% |
| Rena Britton | $44,740 | $19,102 | -57.3% |
| Hook Livestock Company, LLC | $84,755 | $18,716 | -77.9% |
| Mininger Farms | $34,585 | $18,046 | -47.8% |
| Doug Burgess | $40,676 | $17,901 | -56% |
| Blaine J. Hulet | $32,983 | $17,829 | -45.9% |
| Landa Farms PTR | $0 | $17,621 | -- |
| Frances Field | $39,736 | $17,327 | -56.4% |
| Briggs Farms, Inc. | $34,571 | $17,092 | -50.6% |
| Cody W. Baldwin | $114,572 | $16,772 | -85.4% |
| Jason Miller | $65,642 | $16,687 | -74.6% |
| George Bennett Jr. | $50,053 | $16,387 | -67.3% |
| Sherwin Sundberg | $34,353 | $15,385 | -55.2% |
| Demshar Farms, Inc. | $4,798 | $15,181 | 216.4% |
| Howard J. Field | $20,910 | $14,534 | -30.5% |
| Justamere Farms | $5,844 | $14,286 | 144.5% |
| G and C Farms, LLC | $47,509 | $14,140 | -70.2% |
| Becker Farms, LLC | $22,623 | $13,510 | -40.3% |
| Stuart J. Mininger | $23,464 | $13,167 | -43.9% |
| Vance Mininger | $23,376 | $13,104 | -43.9% |
| Don Becker | $17,874 | $11,839 | -33.8% |
| Preston Koehn | $22,614 | $11,357 | -49.8% |
| John Isernhagen | $37,620 | $10,781 | -71.3% |
| Janice Burgess | $40,676 | $10,455 | -74.3% |
| Scott Bennett | $34,508 | $10,077 | -70.8% |
| Purdom Farms, Inc. | $25,838 | $9,881 | -61.8% |
| Richard D. Echevarria | $1,398 | $9,320 | 566.7% |
| Gregory A. Jantz | $11,022 | $9,181 | -16.7% |
| Alec Buster Ridley | $31,619 | $9,111 | -71.2% |
| Darrel L. Agenbroad | $19,455 | $8,685 | -55.4% |
| Timothy R. Freeman | $10,376 | $8,634 | -16.8% |
| Ryan Jantz | $21,672 | $8,502 | -60.8% |
| Ryan C. Rupp | $49,409 | $8,275 | -83.3% |
| Gordon Trout | $21,422 | $8,221 | -61.6% |
| John I Lejardi | $3,390 | $8,060 | 137.8% |
| Steve Lejardi | $3,390 | $8,060 | 137.8% |
| David & Connie Clapier Farms | $8,086 | $7,890 | -2.4% |
| Layne H. Astle | $6,647 | $7,809 | 17.5% |
| Joe Usabel | $14,276 | $7,733 | -45.8% |
| Kenton Unruh | $34,134 | $7,681 | -77.5% |
| Todd T. Jenkins | $14,612 | $7,269 | -50.3% |
| Zane Michael Palmer | $31,601 | $7,260 | -77% |
| Shawna Lee Gill | $23,662 | $6,770 | -71.4% |
| Barney Harper | $14,763 | $6,487 | -56.1% |
| Jeffery B. Anderson | $40,758 | $6,238 | -84.7% |
| Doran L. Parkins | $476 | $5,798 | 1,118.1% |
| Brady Brown | $30,751 | $5,639 | -81.7% |
| Shenk Agent Enterprises, LLC | $17,329 | $5,184 | -70.1% |
| Robert Dirks | $19,756 | $4,944 | -75% |
| Amy van Es | $22,621 | $4,920 | -78.3% |
| Huey Farms, Inc. | $3,688 | $4,917 | 33.3% |
| Rick W. Smith | $29,326 | $4,451 | -84.8% |
| Challen J. Lootens | $8,165 | $4,150 | -49.2% |
| Mr. Tim Matthew Volk | $14,191 | $4,038 | -71.5% |
| Phoenix Honey and Pollination Services, LLC | $0 | $4,037 | -- |
| Derek L. Parkins | $0 | $3,991 | -- |
| William Allen Martin | $11,357 | $3,715 | -67.3% |
| David Russell Unruh | $15,077 | $3,674 | -75.6% |
| Dave R. Jenkins | $11,471 | $3,576 | -68.8% |
| Dave R. Jenkins | $11,471 | $3,576 | -68.8% |
| Bruce Sibert | $10,922 | $3,542 | -67.6% |
| Michelle Rose Peaster-Dirks | $37,407 | $3,537 | -90.5% |
| Telori J Watson | $0 | $3,520 | -- |
| Windy Acres Farm Trust | $8,987 | $3,377 | -62.4% |
| William 'will' O. Field | $0 | $3,248 | -- |
| Gerald Ineck | $7,158 | $3,137 | -56.2% |
| Kyle Steven Purdom | $7,102 | $3,090 | -56.5% |
| Raymond C. Gaviola | $14,877 | $2,974 | -80% |
| Tony Martinat | $13,125 | $2,827 | -78.5% |
| Usabel Hay, LLC | $2,318 | $2,552 | 10.1% |
| Jett T. Fowers | $1,868 | $2,490 | 33.3% |
| Lisa Rae Wilsey | $4,982 | $2,463 | -50.6% |
| Dawn Michelle Redding | $1,809 | $2,412 | 33.3% |
| Kevin Tuckness | $38,250 | $2,324 | -93.9% |
| 7J Ranch, LLC | $5,882 | $2,318 | -60.6% |
| Brandon Wolfe | $2,902 | $2,248 | -22.5% |
| Caleb B. Showalter | $15,101 | $2,222 | -85.3% |
| Randy Dick | $0 | $2,207 | -- |
| John M. Carothers | $5,544 | $2,154 | -61.1% |
| Kelly J. Rudd | $0 | $1,933 | -- |
| James Henry King | $4,455 | $1,848 | -58.5% |
| Howard Farms Jv | $12,118 | $1,741 | -85.6% |
| Francisca Hormeachea Lejardi | $563 | $1,629 | 189.3% |
| Stacy R. Callaway | $5,112 | $1,554 | -69.6% |
| Janet Clapier | $2,127 | $1,505 | -29.2% |
| Chadez Farms, Inc. | $4,931 | $1,434 | -70.9% |
| Robert D. Wolfe | $11,660 | $1,367 | -88.3% |
| Steve Clapier | $4,503 | $1,304 | -71% |
| Walter T. Miller | $5,885 | $1,259 | -78.6% |
| Miranda R. Roland | $5,478 | $1,122 | -79.5% |
| Derron Frederick | $9,470 | $1,078 | -88.6% |
| Zack Zumstein | $3,613 | $982 | -72.8% |
| Hayley C. Hall | $0 | $978 | -- |
| Thomas T. Meyers | $0 | $975 | -- |
| Niels Hendrik van Es | $2,338 | $963 | -58.8% |
| Todd A. Koehn | $7,751 | $949 | -87.8% |
| Berends Farms | $1,294 | $916 | -29.2% |
| Clifford R. Miller | $697 | $887 | 27.3% |
| William G. Turney | $1,019 | $884 | -13.2% |
| Steven H. Nichols | $0 | $772 | -- |
| Dale van Es | $350,829 | $749 | -99.8% |
| Kent H. Curtis | $493 | $657 | 33.3% |
| Elmon Thompson | $2,503 | $655 | -73.8% |
| Steve Derrick | $1,358 | $628 | -53.8% |
| Cindy L Mavey | $3,076 | $603 | -80.4% |
| Ronald R. Kiester | $0 | $559 | -- |
| Harry J. Staples | $6,952 | $553 | -92% |
| Desiree Ila Meyers | $13,704 | $544 | -96% |
| Kendal C. Thomas | $0 | $517 | -- |
| John S Chadez | $0 | $476 | -- |
| Jason Jenkins | $2,013 | $467 | -76.8% |
| Kenneth Metzer | $1,317 | $452 | -65.7% |
| MRS Mary Ann Callaway | $0 | $395 | -- |
| Patrick D Geertson | $4,129 | $356 | -91.4% |
| Rickey W. Shanley | $858 | $336 | -60.8% |
| Kurt Shanley | $825 | $318 | -61.5% |
| Heather Hall | $0 | $236 | -- |
| Tracy A. Buck | $364 | $233 | -36% |
| Bruce D. Malmberg | $0 | $219 | -- |
| Mike Aebischer | $1,398 | $208 | -85.1% |
| Brett Endicott | $8,270 | $172 | -97.9% |
| Joyce Keller | $723 | $157 | -78.3% |
| Donna M. Bennett | $762 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold A. Simper | $1,139 | $0 | -100% |
| Reisinger Honey Bees, Inc. | $2,656 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott McNeley | $492,252 | $0 | -100% |
| Curtis Farms, LLC | $235 | $0 | -100% |
| Greg King | $3,630 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Thomas Beckman | $9,554 | $0 | -100% |
| Nederend Farms, LLLP | $1,000,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Servando C. Zalazar | $3,905 | $0 | -100% |
| Sonke Dairy | $4,532 | $0 | -100% |
| Berends Custom Farming PTR | $989 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney Douglas St Clair | $26,982 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $12,911,299 | $4,784,398 | -62.9% |
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