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In 2021, 222 farmers in cities within Mercer County received a total of $2.6 million in 452 farm subsidies, a 57.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $6.1 million in 771 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 Mercer County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meinke Farms | $655,074 | $341,115 | -47.9% |
| Porter Farms | $612,269 | $227,710 | -62.8% |
| Henke Family Farms, LLC | $325,014 | $204,744 | -37% |
| Bar Diamond Farms, Inc. | $239,621 | $89,740 | -62.5% |
| Ivan Kirk Ellis | $86,784 | $70,254 | -19% |
| Ellsworth Farms, Inc. | $141,251 | $51,440 | -63.6% |
| Prairie Gem Ranch Incorporated | $50,654 | $46,247 | -8.7% |
| Gage Neal Porter | $80,883 | $42,966 | -46.9% |
| Charles E and Sharon F Claycomb Revocable Trust | $58,737 | $38,124 | -35.1% |
| Aaron Martin II | $35,806 | $35,806 | 0% |
| Kerry Cole | $37,287 | $35,511 | -4.8% |
| Wesley John Bickel | $95,996 | $35,122 | -63.4% |
| Robert Enright | $36,430 | $29,856 | -18% |
| Tammaria L Brundage | $170,707 | $29,436 | -82.8% |
| William P. Berwanger | $42,697 | $29,394 | -31.2% |
| Randall Dozler | $0 | $28,107 | -- |
| Roy Lee Moore | $101,818 | $28,058 | -72.4% |
| Three Blues, LLC | $149,795 | $27,563 | -81.6% |
| Carol Vogel | $27,472 | $27,472 | 0% |
| Dale Beavers | $60,059 | $26,847 | -55.3% |
| Tyler J. Hartley | $20,333 | $26,807 | 31.8% |
| Mike Moore | $52,912 | $25,847 | -51.2% |
| Chet Ellsworth | $59,901 | $25,463 | -57.5% |
| John Charles Hartley | $97,611 | $25,110 | -74.3% |
| Richard Moore | $95,743 | $24,987 | -73.9% |
| Chris Lutzen | $75,171 | $22,804 | -69.7% |
| Roy D. Clark | $22,802 | $22,802 | 0% |
| Michael H. Covey | $59,968 | $22,483 | -62.5% |
| John Wells | $102,226 | $22,355 | -78.1% |
| James E. Johnston | $79,912 | $22,253 | -72.2% |
| Max Eugene Coon | $55,421 | $21,220 | -61.7% |
| Grey Wells Porter | $33,490 | $19,946 | -40.4% |
| Galt Lane Porter | $25,057 | $18,593 | -25.8% |
| Gregg William Widner | $43,096 | $17,000 | -60.6% |
| Justin Patrick Hill | $25,787 | $16,689 | -35.3% |
| Ronald E. Stark | $23,997 | $16,278 | -32.2% |
| Greg Reger | $62,040 | $16,135 | -74% |
| Michael D. Flowers | $50,279 | $15,612 | -68.9% |
| Dorothy Claycomb Trust | $14,918 | $14,918 | 0% |
| James R. Clark | $53,840 | $14,682 | -72.7% |
| Jonathan Adam Price | $34,806 | $14,663 | -57.9% |
| Jack Clapham | $25,614 | $14,529 | -43.3% |
| Clint Allen Moore | $49,031 | $14,410 | -70.6% |
| Flowers Family Farms, LLC | $17,560 | $14,231 | -19% |
| Larry L. Leeper | $20,800 | $14,160 | -31.9% |
| Tammy J. Donelson | $30,403 | $14,065 | -53.7% |
| Terry Rowland | $8,710 | $13,988 | 60.6% |
| Danny Gentry | $20,924 | $13,362 | -36.1% |
| Kenneth Eugene Martin | $36,406 | $13,290 | -63.5% |
| Bill Hobbs | $12,960 | $12,960 | 0% |
| Martin Henke | $19,560 | $12,904 | -34% |
| Mitchell Gregory Reger | $35,899 | $12,549 | -65% |
| David L. Dennis | $12,513 | $12,513 | 0% |
| Terry Shaffer | $37,237 | $11,812 | -68.3% |
| Wood Holt | $39,911 | $11,609 | -70.9% |
| Mike Rogers | $12,975 | $11,432 | -11.9% |
| Dana F. Gregory | $11,365 | $11,069 | -2.6% |
| Garry Cox | $15,765 | $10,934 | -30.6% |
| Shane Cox | $15,765 | $10,934 | -30.6% |
| Carole L Demoss Revocable Living Trust Agreement of Kenneth | $29,970 | $10,658 | -64.4% |
| Joe Dale Hartley | $59,155 | $10,588 | -82.1% |
| Dennis Webb | $10,487 | $10,487 | 0% |
| Marvin H. Brush | $16,098 | $10,234 | -36.4% |
| Eddy Oswalt | $15,686 | $10,196 | -35% |
| Marlene Stark | $8,987 | $8,948 | -0.4% |
| Daniel Joseph Martin | $32,321 | $8,755 | -72.9% |
| Garry N. Moore | $8,994 | $8,708 | -3.2% |
| Paul Sawyer | $5,189 | $8,687 | 67.4% |
| Tyson Ronald Stark | $4,625 | $8,340 | 80.3% |
| Steve Berger | $36,198 | $8,158 | -77.5% |
| Stephen W. Moore | $10,308 | $8,039 | -22% |
| David Prichard | $42,182 | $7,551 | -82.1% |
| Jacob L. Ellsworth | $85,145 | $7,531 | -91.2% |
| Donald Gene Parsons | $9,322 | $7,352 | -21.1% |
| Eddie Hendren | $7,203 | $7,203 | 0% |
| Scott D. Clark | $21,738 | $7,024 | -67.7% |
| Marian Moore | $6,998 | $6,998 | 0% |
| Jerry Hamilton | $30,354 | $6,947 | -77.1% |
| Michael D. Gibson | $8,088 | $6,945 | -14.1% |
| John D. Johnson | $40,132 | $6,799 | -83.1% |
| Whitt Farms, Inc. | $13,498 | $6,597 | -51.1% |
| Donald Dean Kisky | $16,855 | $6,541 | -61.2% |
| Greg Humphrey | $6,419 | $6,419 | 0% |
| Helen L Picaman | $5,961 | $5,961 | 0% |
| Raymond Rogers | $24,313 | $5,884 | -75.8% |
| Larry M. Holmes | $31,728 | $5,875 | -81.5% |
| John Schrock | $21,738 | $5,703 | -73.8% |
| Dean Oswalt | $6,598 | $5,693 | -13.7% |
| Loyd A. Holt | $15,450 | $5,644 | -63.5% |
| Jack Goodin | $5,832 | $5,631 | -3.4% |
| Spencer Hart | $2,007 | $5,435 | 170.8% |
| Joseph W. Berger II | $12,469 | $5,337 | -57.2% |
| Nathan Rogers | $22,438 | $5,285 | -76.4% |
| Tammy Donelson | $7,219 | $5,262 | -27.1% |
| Elijah Dean Dailey | $16,076 | $5,016 | -68.8% |
| Mr. Gary N. Porter | $10,382 | $5,006 | -51.8% |
| Larry D. Peace | $25,956 | $4,650 | -82.1% |
| Ron Bickel | $20,108 | $4,572 | -77.3% |
| Eugene Hendrickson | $4,389 | $4,516 | 2.9% |
| Dennis K. Beavers | $34,444 | $4,430 | -87.1% |
| Jerry Goodin | $7,495 | $4,331 | -42.2% |
| Max Shaffer | $16,267 | $4,275 | -73.7% |
| Garry W. Widner | $24,336 | $4,214 | -82.7% |
| Donald Hugh Mallinson | $21,391 | $4,110 | -80.8% |
| Mark Coon | $28,717 | $4,065 | -85.8% |
| Gary L. Campbell | $12,377 | $4,053 | -67.3% |
| Tracy Shaffer | $22,376 | $4,046 | -81.9% |
| Daniel Smith | $13,329 | $3,945 | -70.4% |
| Dale L. Houck | $25,373 | $3,870 | -84.7% |
| Wendel Myers and Bobbi Myers Revocable Living Trust | $3,532 | $3,869 | 9.5% |
| Willard P. Hart and Mary F. Hart Revocable Trust | $9,527 | $3,728 | -60.9% |
| Zachary Wayne Martin | $12,947 | $3,700 | -71.4% |
| J. R. Hamilton | $11,126 | $3,696 | -66.8% |
| GD & RJ, Inc. | $9,701 | $3,551 | -63.4% |
| Kalen Miller | $21,545 | $3,419 | -84.1% |
| K & S Farms | $19,279 | $3,382 | -82.5% |
| Phillip Ross Rhoades | $5,552 | $3,241 | -41.6% |
| Aaron Yoder | $3,240 | $3,240 | 0% |
| Gideon Yoder | $3,240 | $3,240 | 0% |
| Charlene Finney | $4,135 | $3,183 | -23% |
| Chance Flowers | $35,214 | $3,128 | -91.1% |
| Chris Parks | $13,271 | $3,086 | -76.7% |
| Raymond Dale Donelson | $6,190 | $3,039 | -50.9% |
| J Bar G Cattle Company, LLC | $23,883 | $2,949 | -87.7% |
| Troy Purdun | $12,959 | $2,871 | -77.8% |
| Trey Michaelis | $10,857 | $2,524 | -76.8% |
| Orville W. Still | $0 | $2,459 | -- |
| Scott R. Graham | $2,313 | $2,313 | 0% |
| Kenneth Duane Nelson | $15,680 | $2,207 | -85.9% |
| William P. Schmidt | $5,887 | $2,198 | -62.7% |
| John Matthew Girdner | $10,649 | $2,187 | -79.5% |
| Kevin Stiles | $12,857 | $2,173 | -83.1% |
| Cody Brundage | $15,169 | $2,055 | -86.5% |
| Todd Siemer | $6,622 | $2,012 | -69.6% |
| Gordon Wayne Smith | $4,457 | $1,950 | -56.2% |
| Rick Dean Ellsworth | $1,938 | $1,938 | 0% |
| Tammy Galang | $8,481 | $1,894 | -77.7% |
| Robert Edward Evans | $4,404 | $1,859 | -57.8% |
| Hartley Farm Partnership | $4,342 | $1,784 | -58.9% |
| Dr. Jacob J. Letner | $1,815 | $1,782 | -1.8% |
| Linda A. Hodges | $5,294 | $1,713 | -67.6% |
| Charles Hartley | $29,582 | $1,662 | -94.4% |
| Jonas Andre Coon | $13,124 | $1,661 | -87.3% |
| Brent M. Mitchell | $7,448 | $1,656 | -77.8% |
| William E. Goodin | $9,039 | $1,644 | -81.8% |
| Wayne Cast | $1,475 | $1,610 | 9.2% |
| Michael Don Batson | $3,022 | $1,588 | -47.5% |
| Marie Price | $0 | $1,544 | -- |
| Jeff Siemer | $5,962 | $1,413 | -76.3% |
| Malcolm Eli Henke | $14,055 | $1,400 | -90% |
| Thomas A. Delameter | $5,120 | $1,371 | -73.2% |
| Jordan Thomas Delameter | $5,087 | $1,353 | -73.4% |
| Richard Scott Byers | $5,720 | $1,340 | -76.6% |
| Jeremy Michaelis | $9,535 | $1,294 | -86.4% |
| Marian Goodin Trust | $5,467 | $1,267 | -76.8% |
| Jimmy W. Martin | $1,254 | $1,254 | 0% |
| Becky Kirkpatrick | $4,200 | $1,243 | -70.4% |
| Ron Vandell | $5,764 | $1,242 | -78.5% |
| van Boxley | $4,576 | $1,210 | -73.6% |
| Todd M. Demoss | $5,748 | $1,201 | -79.1% |
| 2B Enterprises | $10,429 | $1,198 | -88.5% |
| Donnie E. Gannon | $4,805 | $1,193 | -75.2% |
| Donald R Stoppelmoor | $4,521 | $1,189 | -73.7% |
| Larry D. Brown | $1,172 | $1,172 | 0% |
| Mark Judd | $3,267 | $1,160 | -64.5% |
| Revocable Living Trust Agreement of William Gamet and Helen | $2,230 | $1,136 | -49.1% |
| Jeffrey Wyatt | $2,248 | $1,116 | -50.4% |
| Donna Covey | $4,640 | $1,075 | -76.8% |
| Caleb Wyatt | $1,783 | $1,071 | -39.9% |
| Heather Marie Stark | $4,006 | $1,056 | -73.6% |
| Mike Noe | $5,696 | $1,038 | -81.8% |
| Dee Hobbs | $5,702 | $1,029 | -82% |
| David Scott Tatum | $3,169 | $1,017 | -67.9% |
| Randy E. Morin | $996 | $996 | 0% |
| Peggy L. Gannon | $1,822 | $996 | -45.3% |
| Mark A. Covey | $2,074 | $989 | -52.3% |
| Gerald Dale Goodin III | $8,418 | $951 | -88.7% |
| Kevin Dailey | $0 | $937 | -- |
| Matthew M. Krohn | $4,147 | $926 | -77.7% |
| Judee L Jacobs | $3,861 | $900 | -76.7% |
| Jackie R. Hague Jr. | $10,582 | $897 | -91.5% |
| Philip W. Smith | $2,900 | $888 | -69.4% |
| Dale Eugene Donelson | $3,298 | $860 | -73.9% |
| Randy L. Smith | $3,267 | $852 | -73.9% |
| Robert Gibson Jr. | $961 | $849 | -11.7% |
| Paul E. Branam | $1,540 | $811 | -47.3% |
| Rogers Famly Revocable Trust | $800 | $800 | 0% |
| Lonnie Blunk | $3,751 | $793 | -78.9% |
| Scott Clapham | $3,542 | $766 | -78.4% |
| Gregory Dale Porter | $1,279 | $751 | -41.3% |
| Tod Boxley | $1,837 | $714 | -61.1% |
| Veta I West | $1,160 | $630 | -45.7% |
| Rita Bryant | $2,849 | $602 | -78.9% |
| Jerod Daniel Vangenderen | $1,584 | $592 | -62.6% |
| Robin W. Banion | $758 | $565 | -25.5% |
| Bobby Hashman | $1,969 | $508 | -74.2% |
| Stephen E. Stockman | $496 | $496 | 0% |
| Jaron Braden Donelson | $2,299 | $479 | -79.2% |
| Matthew Davis | $3,041 | $445 | -85.4% |
| Higgins Farms | $0 | $361 | -- |
| Kailer Wayne Stevenson | $2,636 | $357 | -86.5% |
| Jeffrey C. Peace | $1,375 | $345 | -74.9% |
| Dean H. Henley | $2,678 | $343 | -87.2% |
| Katie Lynn Joiner | $2,624 | $337 | -87.2% |
| Mike Robinson | $3,096 | $333 | -89.2% |
| Ryan Covey | $946 | $277 | -70.7% |
| James Isaacs | $1,034 | $253 | -75.5% |
| Danny Derry | $968 | $250 | -74.2% |
| Jennifer Wilson | $742 | $223 | -69.9% |
| John M. Baughman | $1,276 | $207 | -83.8% |
| ZPF, LLC | $0 | $186 | -- |
| WM D Clark & Jeanette Clark Revocable Trust | $355 | $181 | -49% |
| Matthew L. Covey | $538 | $167 | -69% |
| Bryer J. Noe | $1,266 | $138 | -89.1% |
| J Morgan Donelson and Jeania H Donelson Family Trust Dated F | $373 | $124 | -66.8% |
| Kyle Berndt | $309 | $106 | -65.7% |
| Cody Wayne Demoss | $132 | $94 | -28.8% |
| Ed Stiles | $198 | $60 | -69.7% |
| Justin Holt | $1,156 | $42 | -96.4% |
| Darlene Olson | $96 | $22 | -77.1% |
| Bar E Farms, LLC | $153 | $9 | -94.1% |
| Marcus D. Robinson | $23 | $8 | -65.2% |
| Benjamin Fisher | $95 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Lund | $54 | $0 | -100% |
| Frederick John Zillich | $93 | $0 | -100% |
| Grant Widner | $1,001 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Taff | $2,056 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley Graham | $91 | $0 | -100% |
| Zackery Ryan Campbell | $495 | $0 | -100% |
| Andy Joe Speakman | $1 | $0 | -100% |
| Avanelle Arnote | $250 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce Gamet | $2,806 | $0 | -100% |
| Chad Smith | $550 | $0 | -100% |
| Cheryl Kelly | $539 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank & Judith Travis Caring Trust | $17,820 | $0 | -100% |
| J. T. Bruse | $1,181 | $0 | -100% |
| Kelsey Dawn Price | $967 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin Scott Holt | $997 | $0 | -100% |
| Kristen Ann Byers | $252 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeane M. Henley | $45 | $0 | -100% |
| Mel Merrill | $8 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul Cool | $1,050 | $0 | -100% |
| Peggy Margaret Berger | $609 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley Joe Speakman | $39 | $0 | -100% |
| Sylvia Cook | $297 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas David Byers | $252 | $0 | -100% |
| Vera Lee Rowland | $11,705 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Wells | $31 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $6,116,224 | $2,577,613 | -57.9% |
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