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In 2021, 73 farmers in cities within Menominee County received a total of $1.7 million in 138 farm subsidies, a 57.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4 million in 294 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Farms, LLC | $1,471,273 | $393,639 | -73.2% |
| Pleasant View Dairy Farm, LLC | $499,880 | $161,758 | -67.6% |
| David Paul Granskog Farm | $229,902 | $158,391 | -31.1% |
| Elmbrook Farms, Ltd. | $185,913 | $139,088 | -25.2% |
| Kraniak Bros | $102,583 | $111,456 | 8.6% |
| David S. Cappaert | $235,452 | $97,002 | -58.8% |
| Suchovsky Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Triest Forest Products, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| William Kirschner Trucking and Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Earl St. John Forest Products, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| James Revall | $68,098 | $46,112 | -32.3% |
| Steven R. Brock | $463,353 | $36,647 | -92.1% |
| Donald Kozlowski | $46,395 | $33,117 | -28.6% |
| Scott Mellgren | $18,974 | $29,792 | 57% |
| Michael R Berzsenyi | $30,785 | $21,401 | -30.5% |
| Granquist Farms, LLC | $105,155 | $21,165 | -79.9% |
| Gary W. Rasmussen | $29,485 | $19,737 | -33.1% |
| Donald Smith | $0 | $19,585 | -- |
| Gary Schultz Trucking | $0 | $18,861 | -- |
| Brenda A. Benson | $0 | $18,331 | -- |
| Wilson Farm | $31,038 | $18,330 | -40.9% |
| Lawrence Linsmeier | $21,816 | $16,490 | -24.4% |
| Debacker Family Dairy Farm, LLC | $144,270 | $14,598 | -89.9% |
| Jeremy R. Erickson | $0 | $13,463 | -- |
| Menke Farm | $24,023 | $10,740 | -55.3% |
| Noah Vanenkevort | $1,799 | $8,582 | 377% |
| Brien Thoney | $25,580 | $6,178 | -75.8% |
| Montgomery Tuinstra | $5,670 | $5,133 | -9.5% |
| Henry Granskog | $5,870 | $4,608 | -21.5% |
| Kim Marie Wery | $19,802 | $4,592 | -76.8% |
| Joshua Gill | $8,109 | $4,129 | -49.1% |
| Buczek Trust No. 1 | $0 | $2,868 | -- |
| Charles Benson | $9,034 | $2,827 | -68.7% |
| Todd R. Maki | $8,226 | $2,386 | -71% |
| John E. Lieberth | $2,655 | $2,186 | -17.7% |
| Anthony R Paidl | $5,079 | $2,177 | -57.1% |
| Bernard Hubbard | $7,026 | $2,020 | -71.2% |
| Mark Mellgren | $6,019 | $1,998 | -66.8% |
| Michael St John | $8,853 | $1,958 | -77.9% |
| Warren Sorensen | $4,499 | $1,885 | -58.1% |
| Glenn Hanson | $6,711 | $1,634 | -75.7% |
| Dennis J. Engel | $0 | $1,485 | -- |
| Dave Forgette | $2,846 | $1,448 | -49.1% |
| Judy Niemi | $490 | $1,359 | 177.3% |
| William Gruber | $1,142 | $1,290 | 13% |
| John Folcik Farm | $5,150 | $1,238 | -76% |
| John Mastejko | $4,269 | $1,206 | -71.7% |
| Kelly Nordstrom | $7,300 | $1,206 | -83.5% |
| Steven J. Perry | $7,381 | $1,152 | -84.4% |
| Milton Patz | $1,996 | $1,041 | -47.8% |
| Shepeck Farms, LLC | $3,339 | $1,032 | -69.1% |
| Crystal Lynn Van Elsacker | $23,135 | $1,000 | -95.7% |
| Lillian R. Schultz | $14,130 | $829 | -94.1% |
| Dennis Gruzlewski | $5,113 | $823 | -83.9% |
| Randall Grinsteiner | $3,581 | $818 | -77.2% |
| Jason Sherlund | $2,773 | $626 | -77.4% |
| Larry McGaw | $2,398 | $557 | -76.8% |
| Paul A. Mellgren | $3,730 | $544 | -85.4% |
| Dale Streichert | $1,871 | $513 | -72.6% |
| Nick Pipkorn | $6,649 | $499 | -92.5% |
| Paul Marciniak | $20,246 | $488 | -97.6% |
| Lucy Pier | $401 | $401 | 0% |
| Timothy Mellgren | $742 | $378 | -49.1% |
| Veeser's Triple E Hereford Farm | $726 | $343 | -52.8% |
| Dale V. Frisque | $1,795 | $277 | -84.6% |
| Joyce A. Frisque | $1,953 | $277 | -85.8% |
| Daniel Beaudo | $244 | $275 | 12.7% |
| Dwaine S. Starr | $0 | $164 | -- |
| Christopher Bickel | $904 | $117 | -87.1% |
| Jon Lachapelle | $731 | $88 | -88% |
| Doug Beaudo | $702 | $76 | -89.2% |
| Richard Menza | $358 | $33 | -90.8% |
| Roxanne Kirschner | $269 | $15 | -94.4% |
| Dwaine Zemba | $568 | $0 | -100% |
| Jasper's Sugar Bush, LLC | $11,643 | $0 | -100% |
| Linder Farms | $953 | $0 | -100% |
| Tassier Sugar Bush, LLC | $4,765 | $0 | -100% |
| Desjarlais Centennial Farms, LLC | $918 | $0 | -100% |
| Elmcrest Acres, LLC | $2,541 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall Marana | $24 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Thoune | $208 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey Wade Hales | $62 | $0 | -100% |
| Marlene Wichman | $414 | $0 | -100% |
| Marlene Wickman | $541 | $0 | -100% |
| Veeser's Triple E Hereford Farm, LLC | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| John Hafeman | $130 | $0 | -100% |
| John R. Strohl | $104 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Murto | $336 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Marklein | $1,281 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Fadroski | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Kaczmarczyk | $478 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,986,472 | $1,687,962 | -57.7% |
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