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In 2021, 75 farmers in cities within Meagher County received a total of $2.1 million in 135 farm subsidies, a 67.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $6.6 million in 215 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsdale Colony | $613,321 | $227,140 | -63% |
| Catlin Ranch Lp | $427,506 | $217,736 | -49.1% |
| Townsend Ranch, LLC | $489,152 | $208,622 | -57.4% |
| Upland Farms, Inc. | $132,136 | $141,195 | 6.9% |
| Springdale Colony | $510,081 | $130,716 | -74.4% |
| Galt Ranch Lp | $411,103 | $121,528 | -70.4% |
| 71 Ranch LP | $355,653 | $96,433 | -72.9% |
| Camas Creek Cattle & Sheep Company | $333,392 | $92,090 | -72.4% |
| Alkali Lake Farms, Inc. | $151,097 | $80,283 | -46.9% |
| TG Ranch Company | $223,600 | $51,320 | -77% |
| Snowbank Ranch, LLC | $164,552 | $49,488 | -69.9% |
| Errol T. Galt | $36,778 | $38,108 | 3.6% |
| Sharrie Galt | $36,779 | $38,108 | 3.6% |
| Ralph K. Miller | $128,793 | $37,793 | -70.7% |
| Fort Logan Ranch, LLC | $100,953 | $33,154 | -67.2% |
| Holmstrom Land Company, Inc. | $23,148 | $30,374 | 31.2% |
| Joy Short | $31,020 | $29,692 | -4.3% |
| 9-F Ranch Company, Inc. | $0 | $28,819 | -- |
| Scott A. Jackson | $99,257 | $27,923 | -71.9% |
| Keyhole Cattle Company | $90,828 | $27,771 | -69.4% |
| Grande Ranch Company | $112,128 | $25,622 | -77.1% |
| Montana Horse Company | $94,047 | $25,192 | -73.2% |
| Lost Horse Ranch, LLC | $121,327 | $23,012 | -81% |
| Groveland Ranch, LLC | $137,351 | $22,134 | -83.9% |
| Brock Galt | $23,885 | $21,755 | -8.9% |
| E. W. Galt | $23,885 | $21,755 | -8.9% |
| Ken Ogle | $0 | $20,760 | -- |
| Bar Z Ranch | $62,479 | $18,760 | -70% |
| Bert O. Williams | $52,304 | $17,492 | -66.6% |
| Lind Bros, LLC | $63,213 | $16,027 | -74.6% |
| Mcguire Ranches | $54,528 | $11,910 | -78.2% |
| Barbara Russell | $58,769 | $11,647 | -80.2% |
| Berg Ranch Company, Inc. | $61,616 | $11,368 | -81.6% |
| Down T Livestock, LLC | $0 | $11,248 | -- |
| Thad a Hereim | $54,009 | $11,007 | -79.6% |
| Stephen G. Buckingham | $38,677 | $9,782 | -74.7% |
| Ivan Bodell | $8,883 | $9,246 | 4.1% |
| Flying S RCH | $51,278 | $8,788 | -82.9% |
| Brian L. Bodell | $40,953 | $8,238 | -79.9% |
| Barbara Hereim | $36,222 | $7,557 | -79.1% |
| William W. Galt | $37,741 | $7,398 | -80.4% |
| Ben Hurwitz | $31,897 | $7,302 | -77.1% |
| John Robidou | $35,641 | $6,887 | -80.7% |
| Gilbert Cameron | $30,171 | $6,006 | -80.1% |
| Rebecca R. Hurwitz | $13,713 | $5,040 | -63.2% |
| Jawbone Cattle Company, Inc. | $22,594 | $4,862 | -78.5% |
| Donny Faber | $4,818 | $4,857 | 0.8% |
| Tanya Pelican | $22,583 | $4,707 | -79.2% |
| Roy A. Stidham | $21,164 | $4,433 | -79.1% |
| Raschke Limited Partnership | $20,680 | $4,291 | -79.3% |
| Elizabeth A. Johnston | $22,398 | $4,255 | -81% |
| Russell Berg | $19,041 | $3,938 | -79.3% |
| Mari Johnston Hamm | $18,724 | $3,597 | -80.8% |
| Thorson Ranch, LLC | $4,899 | $3,468 | -29.2% |
| Michael R. Dupea | $16,131 | $3,405 | -78.9% |
| Dan Rader | $15,356 | $3,224 | -79% |
| Dallas C. Rasmussen | $11,732 | $2,613 | -77.7% |
| Roger Zikmund | $11,869 | $2,423 | -79.6% |
| Richard Roma | $2,373 | $2,373 | 0% |
| Randy Scott Mikesell | $1,697 | $2,118 | 24.8% |
| Tyson D. Hill | $11,077 | $2,040 | -81.6% |
| Brady Michael Richardson | $3,575 | $1,448 | -59.5% |
| Nancy Elizabeth Lingafeldt | $1,492 | $1,391 | -6.8% |
| Thomas Schmock | $8,241 | $1,316 | -84% |
| Killdeer, Crane & Chickadee, LLC | $4,541 | $1,007 | -77.8% |
| Cody S. Jackson | $5,547 | $928 | -83.3% |
| Aaron Michael Buckingham | $5,812 | $866 | -85.1% |
| Craig Hereim | $3,487 | $706 | -79.8% |
| Edwin L. Bodell | $436 | $326 | -25.2% |
| Michael Horrigan | $1,595 | $298 | -81.3% |
| Michael J. Weitz | $1,364 | $284 | -79.2% |
| John E. Galt | $1,034 | $228 | -77.9% |
| Annie E. Lester | $1,133 | $214 | -81.1% |
| Denise Lopp | $395 | $193 | -51.1% |
| Kenneth L. Teague | $605 | $132 | -78.2% |
| 9-F Ranch | $122,005 | $0 | -100% |
| Crazy M Ranch LMT Part | $43,890 | $0 | -100% |
| Delpine Farms, LLC | $1,198 | $0 | -100% |
| Lloyd Zumbrun Jr. | $420,225 | $0 | -100% |
| Trevor L. Schmock | $7,710 | $0 | -100% |
| Bank of the Rockies | $70,376 | $0 | -100% |
| Beef Genetics International, LLC | $11,880 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $19,965 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca R. Hurwitz | $10,850 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $6,578,358 | $2,120,167 | -67.8% |
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