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In 2021, 117 farmers in cities within Sweet Grass County received a total of $1.4 million in 200 farm subsidies, a 65.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4 million in 307 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuse Livestock Company | $987,568 | $269,900 | -72.7% |
| Cosgriff Cattle, LLC | $0 | $100,106 | -- |
| Philip L. Schuman | $71,967 | $62,775 | -12.8% |
| DS Jr. Trucking, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| LC Cattle Company, LLC | $172,720 | $51,664 | -70.1% |
| Elwood Schwers | $46,503 | $47,616 | 2.4% |
| Joan Schwers | $46,503 | $47,616 | 2.4% |
| Tom Knoll | $90,996 | $33,333 | -63.4% |
| MS Hooks Farms, LLC | $0 | $32,480 | -- |
| Bar Nothing Ranch Partnership | $99,351 | $31,606 | -68.2% |
| Hooks Ranch, LLC | $129,833 | $28,649 | -77.9% |
| Kevin D. Halverson | $82,209 | $25,762 | -68.7% |
| Agnew Livestock, LLC | $23,134 | $24,209 | 4.6% |
| Jodi R. Christensen | $58,790 | $22,755 | -61.3% |
| Greg H. Langford | $137,489 | $22,332 | -83.8% |
| Hobble Diamond Ranch, LLC | $95,807 | $19,914 | -79.2% |
| 406 Rooney Ranch, LLC | $31,266 | $19,546 | -37.5% |
| Jason Smith | $95,810 | $19,383 | -79.8% |
| Charles B. Schuman | $24,519 | $17,041 | -30.5% |
| Lynn and Julie Sanders Revocable Family Trust | $0 | $15,158 | -- |
| Jon Grosfield | $75,881 | $15,132 | -80.1% |
| Cole T Cumin | $21,782 | $14,906 | -31.6% |
| Shirley J. Breck | $47,308 | $13,687 | -71.1% |
| Cross Triangle Ranch, LLC | $67,710 | $13,485 | -80.1% |
| Putrah Trust | $19,538 | $13,168 | -32.6% |
| Jarrett Ranch, LLC | $50,956 | $12,932 | -74.6% |
| James F. Goggins | $0 | $12,883 | -- |
| Sweetgrass Management, Inc. | $44,957 | $12,493 | -72.2% |
| Paul A. Becken | $66,049 | $12,424 | -81.2% |
| Lorents Grosfield | $56,012 | $12,023 | -78.5% |
| The Holman Revocable Trust | $35,308 | $11,960 | -66.1% |
| Walter L. Plaggemeyer | $31,412 | $11,957 | -61.9% |
| Stewart B. Drange | $32,686 | $11,901 | -63.6% |
| Jason D. Schwers | $37,909 | $11,126 | -70.7% |
| Rein Anchor Ranch, LLLP | $51,645 | $10,566 | -79.5% |
| Brett Todd | $34,477 | $10,265 | -70.2% |
| Wade Lavoy | $12,676 | $10,050 | -20.7% |
| William T. Brownlee | $37,861 | $10,047 | -73.5% |
| Hailstone Ranch | $47,696 | $9,724 | -79.6% |
| Roger Dean Indreland | $53,863 | $9,602 | -82.2% |
| Matthew L. Carroccia | $49,128 | $9,420 | -80.8% |
| Cumin Ranches, LLC | $34,996 | $8,795 | -74.9% |
| Laubach Red Angus, LLC | $32,177 | $8,231 | -74.4% |
| Pitchfork Cattle, LLC | $56,058 | $7,966 | -85.8% |
| David Breck | $38,690 | $7,723 | -80% |
| Larry Plaggemeyer | $35,349 | $7,723 | -78.2% |
| Engle Ranch, Inc. | $0 | $7,547 | -- |
| Karen McKibben | $18,821 | $7,359 | -60.9% |
| Michael Mauland | $0 | $6,498 | -- |
| Wallace C. Walker | $41,669 | $6,318 | -84.8% |
| Gary Arlian | $31,934 | $6,285 | -80.3% |
| Richard W. Kinsey | $23,710 | $5,948 | -74.9% |
| Michael Lehman | $22,223 | $5,871 | -73.6% |
| Kristopher Stene | $26,206 | $5,657 | -78.4% |
| T Bar U Ranch, LLC | $26,480 | $5,559 | -79% |
| Nathan T. Anderson | $29,887 | $5,511 | -81.6% |
| Crazy Mountain Cattle Company | $34,131 | $4,559 | -86.6% |
| Keewaydin RCH | $30,982 | $4,387 | -85.8% |
| Carroll A. Nelson | $4,343 | $4,340 | -0.1% |
| Cynthia L. Bainter | $20,787 | $4,240 | -79.6% |
| Ronald James Halverson | $21,238 | $4,155 | -80.4% |
| Linda McMullen | $10,304 | $3,984 | -61.3% |
| Remi Metcalf | $19,676 | $3,974 | -79.8% |
| Clinton L. Rech | $15,301 | $3,644 | -76.2% |
| Bret Metcalf | $17,003 | $3,484 | -79.5% |
| Clayton RCH, Inc. | $12,386 | $3,114 | -74.9% |
| David a Voldberg | $13,710 | $3,063 | -77.7% |
| Justin Tye Cumin | $12,718 | $2,874 | -77.4% |
| Francis S. Cosgriff | $15,161 | $2,803 | -81.5% |
| Kit G. Beley | $12,030 | $2,759 | -77.1% |
| Walton Livestock, LLC | $13,574 | $2,572 | -81.1% |
| Swamp CRK Angus RCH | $8,448 | $2,499 | -70.4% |
| Ole T. Becken | $10,391 | $2,099 | -79.8% |
| Marc King | $20,589 | $2,067 | -90% |
| Peter Becken | $10,089 | $2,003 | -80.1% |
| Jeffrey Moore | $9,449 | $1,946 | -79.4% |
| Mcleod's Flying Bull Bison Ranch, LLC | $0 | $1,941 | -- |
| Judith Young | $9,111 | $1,702 | -81.3% |
| Douglas Esp | $7,425 | $1,541 | -79.2% |
| Terry Talkington | $7,491 | $1,541 | -79.4% |
| Richard D. Gibby | $8,735 | $1,392 | -84.1% |
| Gary Todd | $11,612 | $1,384 | -88.1% |
| Claude Joe Beley | $6,264 | $1,288 | -79.4% |
| Gary W. Burmeister | $6,171 | $1,234 | -80% |
| Elmarie L Maas | $2,369 | $1,203 | -49.2% |
| Ellen Lorraine Starr | $2,321 | $1,174 | -49.4% |
| Lynn Labrie | $10,150 | $1,140 | -88.8% |
| Charles Weller | $4,972 | $984 | -80.2% |
| Kathy Felton | $961 | $961 | 0% |
| Matt Kleinsasser | $3,641 | $936 | -74.3% |
| Daniel Glenn Putrah | $1,739 | $894 | -48.6% |
| Joseph Edward Leyo | $4,378 | $876 | -80% |
| Bridger Cunningham | $4,580 | $796 | -82.6% |
| Tucker Cunningham | $4,561 | $779 | -82.9% |
| Harv Vanwagoner | $6,724 | $745 | -88.9% |
| Tyler Plaggemeyer | $3,498 | $740 | -78.8% |
| Rebecca C. Gregorich | $3,410 | $703 | -79.4% |
| Jason Burkholder | $3,355 | $678 | -79.8% |
| Marvin Laubach | $4,571 | $623 | -86.4% |
| Ryland Daniel Groshens | $2,937 | $605 | -79.4% |
| Eob Ranch, LLC | $2,767 | $523 | -81.1% |
| John R. Cosgriff | $0 | $508 | -- |
| Edward Wayne Lehman | $1,342 | $428 | -68.1% |
| Kirby Family Limited PTN | $548 | $422 | -23% |
| Roger T. Faw | $676 | $416 | -38.5% |
| Cort Strobel | $1,720 | $336 | -80.5% |
| Alfred Anderson Jr. | $348 | $268 | -23% |
| Greg Curry | $1,386 | $267 | -80.7% |
| Alvin A. Buerkle | $660 | $228 | -65.5% |
| Nikolas Grosfield | $561 | $222 | -60.4% |
| Alan Gilbert | $361 | $210 | -41.8% |
| Gilbert Family Ranch Trust | $397 | $196 | -50.6% |
| Uncommon Beef, LLC | $990 | $129 | -87% |
| Dylan Laverell | $2,470 | $118 | -95.2% |
| Julian Helvik | $163 | $106 | -35% |
| Sidney Helvik | $163 | $106 | -35% |
| Paula Curtin | $136 | $104 | -23.5% |
| Agnew Ranch, LLC | $13,738 | $0 | -100% |
| BTM Investments, LLP | $2,940 | $0 | -100% |
| Calvin D. Christensen | $21,139 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles R. Bainter | $1,674 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene D Langhus | $3,900 | $0 | -100% |
| Jami Jarrett Moody | $3,061 | $0 | -100% |
| Luke Rech | $1,760 | $0 | -100% |
| Lynn and Julie Sanders Revocable | $28,963 | $0 | -100% |
| Marilyn Raisland | $5,976 | $0 | -100% |
| Robertta Dawe | $1,715 | $0 | -100% |
| Sweet Grass Natural Lamb, LLC | $17,841 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,038,200 | $1,392,475 | -65.5% |
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