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In 2021, 45 farmers in cities within Columbia County received a total of $337,566 in 63 farm subsidies, a 60.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $847,251 in 103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Creek, LLC | $0 | $58,870 | -- |
| Skeans & Son, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Paulson Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Soggy Feet Enterprises, LLC | $47,163 | $23,675 | -49.8% |
| Columbia River Ranch, Inc. | $420,782 | $16,328 | -96.1% |
| Elizabeth D'Aubigne | $10,322 | $10,322 | 0% |
| Catherine Moran | $8,760 | $8,760 | 0% |
| Quarter M Ranch, LLC | $8,454 | $8,454 | 0% |
| Barbara L. Svenson | $10,346 | $7,683 | -25.7% |
| Roy Sprunger | $7,053 | $7,053 | 0% |
| Terry Sprunger Supplemental Needs Trust | $7,050 | $7,050 | 0% |
| Lisa E. Schultz | $10,428 | $6,856 | -34.3% |
| NJ Mason Associates, LLC | $28,965 | $6,546 | -77.4% |
| Ruth A. McCann | $3,735 | $6,265 | 67.7% |
| Joseph R Gadotti | $8,736 | $5,844 | -33.1% |
| Helen L. Larkin | $0 | $5,762 | -- |
| Parnell & Elsie Hovland Revocable Family Trust | $0 | $4,942 | -- |
| Tyron Lee | $17,402 | $3,987 | -77.1% |
| Elizabeth Studebaker | $3,621 | $3,621 | 0% |
| Peterson Family Living Trust | $2,643 | $3,521 | 33.2% |
| Matthew C Feinkind | $0 | $3,180 | -- |
| Kenneth E. Kern | $5,116 | $3,070 | -40% |
| Bart L Steel Irrevocable Trust | $2,871 | $2,954 | 2.9% |
| Leonard A. Schmidlin | $10,820 | $2,950 | -72.7% |
| Ponderosa Consulting, Inc. | $5,958 | $2,422 | -59.3% |
| Great Malus, LLC | $3,151 | $2,288 | -27.4% |
| Ivan Allen | $0 | $2,258 | -- |
| Roy Jobin | $3,723 | $2,033 | -45.4% |
| Caryn G. Seely | $8,016 | $1,600 | -80% |
| Raymond Flahaven | $1,840 | $1,434 | -22.1% |
| Michael Schmidlin | $4,544 | $1,386 | -69.5% |
| Smyres Revocable Trust | $3,020 | $1,372 | -54.6% |
| Timothy Kirkpatrick | $0 | $1,336 | -- |
| Woodside Ranch, LLC | $2,531 | $1,254 | -50.5% |
| Ronald A. Burghard | $1,226 | $1,226 | 0% |
| Gerald Albert Johnson | $2,147 | $1,061 | -50.6% |
| Charles Parks | $1,841 | $930 | -49.5% |
| Michael Galassi | $883 | $883 | 0% |
| Gerald E. Luebbers | $971 | $617 | -36.5% |
| Steve Jenkins | $0 | $605 | -- |
| Robert R. Gregg | $353 | $471 | 33.4% |
| Duane Meissner | $602 | $437 | -27.4% |
| Valerie Tafoya | $284 | $284 | 0% |
| Rainier Heritage Farm, LLC | $5,276 | $167 | -96.8% |
| Sheril McWhirter | $352 | $59 | -83.2% |
| Brenda Vassau | $575 | $0 | -100% |
| Conyers Creek Ranch, LLC | $1,560 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory Mustola | $20,516 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael P. Seely | $15,822 | $0 | -100% |
| Warren Seely | $21,715 | $0 | -100% |
| Parnell & Elsie Hovland Revocable | $4,942 | $0 | -100% |
| Cully Calvert | $3,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Scotty Davidson | $1,667 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Powell | $371 | $0 | -100% |
| Don Salvey | $108 | $0 | -100% |
| Eli Icenogle | $1,116 | $0 | -100% |
| Fish Hawk Adventures, Inc. | $17,111 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Salvey | $1,594 | $0 | -100% |
| Kayla A. Byrd | $267 | $0 | -100% |
| Looslea Holsteins | $87,451 | $0 | -100% |
| Future Farm & Flowers, LLC | $2,321 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathy L. Burrus | $267 | $0 | -100% |
| Von Derahe Orchards, LLC | $5,398 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $847,251 | $337,566 | -60.2% |
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