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In 2021, 83 farmers in cities within Lassen County received a total of $2.2 million in 207 farm subsidies, a 13.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.6 million in 224 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Egan | $221,348 | $221,635 | 0.1% |
| Kramer Ranch, LLC | $180,094 | $171,213 | -4.9% |
| Wood Cattle Ranch, Inc. | $44,350 | $121,166 | 173.2% |
| Joe Egan | $318,901 | $120,597 | -62.2% |
| Dallice M Nuttall | $155,057 | $109,774 | -29.2% |
| Sam Thompson | $92,562 | $104,657 | 13.1% |
| Kenneth J. Wemple | $83,328 | $100,659 | 20.8% |
| Lee Bailey | $52,609 | $82,731 | 57.3% |
| Gerig Land & Livestock, LLC | $46,112 | $79,408 | 72.2% |
| Fredrick Wemple | $12,556 | $74,273 | 491.5% |
| Kathryn Wemple | $0 | $69,517 | -- |
| Mcclelland Ranch, Inc. | $56,177 | $65,838 | 17.2% |
| Peter N Gerig - the Gerig Family Trust | $103,195 | $62,087 | -39.8% |
| Hulsman Ranch Partnership | $11,795 | $54,699 | 363.7% |
| Shirley Murrer | $65,073 | $49,899 | -23.3% |
| Jack Hanson | $90,696 | $48,575 | -46.4% |
| Joseph J Medici -Westwood Logging Company | $0 | $41,832 | -- |
| Hagata Ranch, Inc. | $50,159 | $41,138 | -18% |
| John Matley & Son | $20,504 | $40,217 | 96.1% |
| George Farms, Inc. | $74,410 | $38,946 | -47.7% |
| John Fitzgerald | $37,797 | $32,348 | -14.4% |
| Daniel W. Tankersley | $20,409 | $31,180 | 52.8% |
| John C. Barnum | $56,053 | $31,008 | -44.7% |
| Robert Thomas Pyle | $63,439 | $28,386 | -55.3% |
| Joseph J. Bertotti | $49,573 | $27,358 | -44.8% |
| Samuel L. Manes | $20,718 | $24,264 | 17.1% |
| Wayne P. Langston | $4,676 | $23,461 | 401.7% |
| Scott Lanny Humphrey | $30,986 | $21,386 | -31% |
| Schroeder, Inc. | $30,968 | $19,098 | -38.3% |
| Thomas Hammond | $24,112 | $16,706 | -30.7% |
| Frank Kimp | $17,361 | $14,853 | -14.4% |
| Dennis W. Wood | $45,060 | $14,723 | -67.3% |
| Brian Wolf | $18,795 | $13,728 | -27% |
| Jeff Carlon | $8,481 | $12,593 | 48.5% |
| Nick Retterath | $13,805 | $12,484 | -9.6% |
| 96 Bar Ranch Land & Cattle, LLC | $20,621 | $11,636 | -43.6% |
| Colton D. Shields | $8,535 | $10,838 | 27% |
| Robert F. Pyle | $11,501 | $10,641 | -7.5% |
| Karl Baker | $15,905 | $9,912 | -37.7% |
| Mitchell Ranch Enterprises, Inc. | $8,116 | $9,225 | 13.7% |
| Dejmal-Belshee Family Farms, LLC | $11,038 | $8,908 | -19.3% |
| Two Doc's Land and Cattle | $23,408 | $7,186 | -69.3% |
| Jeffery David Hemphill | $11,700 | $7,063 | -39.6% |
| Luke S. Garrod | $9,649 | $6,935 | -28.1% |
| Dylan S. Cyprian | $9,349 | $6,721 | -28.1% |
| Brian Dahle | $18,189 | $6,686 | -63.2% |
| Jesse Midgley | $9,042 | $5,845 | -35.4% |
| Mike & Deanna Foster Family Trust | $5,311 | $5,370 | 1.1% |
| Shirley Lee | $2,662 | $5,163 | 94% |
| Kenneth Gregory | $0 | $4,932 | -- |
| Lori Lynn Root | $7,500 | $4,655 | -37.9% |
| Joseph Andrew Bertotti | $69,137 | $4,463 | -93.5% |
| Julie L. Wells | $14,199 | $4,370 | -69.2% |
| Vanessa P. Vazquez | $8,104 | $4,208 | -48.1% |
| Eric O. Rubio | $7,200 | $4,189 | -41.8% |
| Flying B Ranch | $10,293 | $3,937 | -61.8% |
| Michael Somerville | $4,898 | $3,777 | -22.9% |
| Timothy D. Babcock | $3,062 | $3,339 | 9% |
| Martin Wright | $8,646 | $2,937 | -66% |
| Trevor W. Wood | $8,046 | $2,850 | -64.6% |
| Edith Higgins | $7,680 | $2,646 | -65.5% |
| Lassen 7D Ranch, Inc. | $9,418 | $2,606 | -72.3% |
| Conrad Gonzalez | $0 | $2,427 | -- |
| Justin Eastwood | $3,025 | $2,416 | -20.1% |
| David Leslie | $1,507 | $2,392 | 58.7% |
| Nathan Egan | $6,545 | $2,257 | -65.5% |
| Nick Batteate | $5,575 | $2,244 | -59.7% |
| Terry Mallery | $3,212 | $2,174 | -32.3% |
| Gary Taylor | $5,863 | $1,965 | -66.5% |
| Allen Cain | $1,551 | $1,915 | 23.5% |
| Willis C. Dow | $3,323 | $1,496 | -55% |
| Billy Farris | $6,501 | $1,323 | -79.6% |
| Chris Miller | $2,852 | $1,246 | -56.3% |
| Cash Leo Wemple | $0 | $1,149 | -- |
| Joe Comino | $23,881 | $1,132 | -95.3% |
| Bud Blosser | $4,389 | $906 | -79.4% |
| Josephine Grimmer 2008 Revocable Trust - Josephine Grimmer | $1,431 | $815 | -43% |
| Thomas F. Weimer | $2,816 | $790 | -71.9% |
| Danny Heflin | $13,629 | $673 | -95.1% |
| Donald R. Blickenstaff | $939 | $459 | -51.1% |
| Wilson Mallery | $871 | $426 | -51.1% |
| Janet Hunter | $395 | $269 | -31.9% |
| Nicole Magana | $1,369 | $252 | -81.6% |
| Jeffery J. Schaff | $965 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen Higgins | $106 | $0 | -100% |
| Rachelle Benson | $774 | $0 | -100% |
| Travis Stewart | $13,970 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandy Jansen | $727 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,550,584 | $2,212,201 | -13.3% |
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