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In 2021, 105 farmers in cities within Hernando County received a total of $485,673 in 132 farm subsidies, a 73.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humble Bee Apiary, LLC | $109,521 | $125,265 | 14.4% |
| Ecoast Timber, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Duval Family Farms, LLC | $75,344 | $52,228 | -30.7% |
| Donna R. Miller | $26,767 | $26,137 | -2.4% |
| Cannon Trees, Inc. | $154,615 | $16,010 | -89.6% |
| David a Olderbak | $0 | $10,704 | -- |
| Finest Farms, LLC | $55,114 | $10,354 | -81.2% |
| David J. Ward | $39,644 | $10,294 | -74% |
| Kenneth E. Brooks | $26,500 | $9,825 | -62.9% |
| Legacy Honey Bees, Inc. | $11,748 | $9,223 | -21.5% |
| Bennett Grassing & Hay Farms, Inc. | $36,877 | $8,460 | -77.1% |
| Travis Batten | $47,662 | $8,375 | -82.4% |
| Gerald & Alma Krejci Family Irrevocable Trust | $0 | $8,014 | -- |
| Keene Properties Management, LLC | $8,854 | $7,398 | -16.4% |
| Young Cattle and Hay, Inc. | $23,095 | $6,825 | -70.4% |
| Joan McCormick | $6,464 | $6,464 | 0% |
| Heaven's Gate Ranch, Inc. | $11,506 | $6,255 | -45.6% |
| Jody L. Woodard | $28,970 | $6,162 | -78.7% |
| Albert L. Rooks Sr. | $23,771 | $4,927 | -79.3% |
| Murchio, Margo's Blueberry Farm, LLC | $16,718 | $4,622 | -72.4% |
| Rebecca Jackson | $0 | $4,214 | -- |
| Brandi W. Graf | $5,292 | $3,705 | -30% |
| Fraccica Apiaries, LLC | $0 | $3,397 | -- |
| Thomas Acres, Inc. | $22,378 | $3,348 | -85% |
| Julie A. Satre | $2,892 | $3,323 | 14.9% |
| Olga Spontak | $3,297 | $3,297 | 0% |
| Lee K. Pedone | $14,652 | $3,240 | -77.9% |
| Pleasant Valley Dairy, Inc. | $15,001 | $3,010 | -79.9% |
| Melody Porter | $11,899 | $2,731 | -77% |
| BFA Cattle, LLC | $12,253 | $2,548 | -79.2% |
| Daniel B. Merritt Sr. | $9,859 | $2,515 | -74.5% |
| Brendan Devlin | $61,454 | $2,337 | -96.2% |
| Tall Pines Farms, LLC | $77,758 | $2,332 | -97% |
| James Lasseter Jr. | $1,679 | $2,265 | 34.9% |
| Kerry Johnson | $10,186 | $2,096 | -79.4% |
| David B. Graf | $3,675 | $2,090 | -43.1% |
| Calvin Willis | $3,168 | $1,838 | -42% |
| William R. Sellers | $8,420 | $1,706 | -79.7% |
| Joanne M. Zamorski | $1,089 | $1,634 | 50% |
| Dennis Mcneilus | $5,229 | $1,595 | -69.5% |
| Margaret Stacey Thomson Revocable Trust | $1,988 | $1,544 | -22.3% |
| Russell Dean Damron | $7,746 | $1,512 | -80.5% |
| Daniel J. Wolthuis Jr. | $6,309 | $1,450 | -77% |
| Edwin R Dunstan JR - Dunstan Living Trust DTD 1-25-19 | $2,864 | $1,389 | -51.5% |
| Thomas O. Mountain | $5,026 | $1,343 | -73.3% |
| Gary S. Wolf | $7,241 | $1,341 | -81.5% |
| Mary L. Anderson | $4,889 | $1,315 | -73.1% |
| Robert Agro | $4,700 | $1,294 | -72.5% |
| James Thomas Karam Jr. | $2,028 | $1,263 | -37.7% |
| Willie Joe Woods | $35,230 | $1,254 | -96.4% |
| Campton Ranch., Inc. | $9,848 | $1,240 | -87.4% |
| James E. Adkins Jr. | $5,550 | $1,205 | -78.3% |
| William I Soash | $1,394 | $1,152 | -17.4% |
| Helen K. Rey | $5,079 | $1,102 | -78.3% |
| Jg Ranch | $4,983 | $1,055 | -78.8% |
| Kaylene M. Hill | $2,206 | $1,029 | -53.4% |
| Barbara a Stamer Trust | $4,466 | $1,016 | -77.3% |
| Randall Warnke | $4,101 | $1,014 | -75.3% |
| Debra Pedone | $9,183 | $943 | -89.7% |
| Thomas R. Young | $3,987 | $896 | -77.5% |
| Krabel Fam Trustee UTD | $1,440 | $778 | -46% |
| April Belinda Oberry | $6,157 | $767 | -87.5% |
| Daryl Saunders | $2,824 | $744 | -73.7% |
| V Graves Farms, LLC | $3,052 | $744 | -75.6% |
| Fred W. Fletcher | $2,466 | $738 | -70.1% |
| Country Club Cattle, LLC | $2,750 | $720 | -73.8% |
| Jayme Klapperich | $1,893 | $715 | -62.2% |
| Laurie Timm | $2,398 | $653 | -72.8% |
| Karen M Thege | $0 | $619 | -- |
| David Dail Jr. | $2,916 | $609 | -79.1% |
| Elaine C. Sullivan | $3,817 | $555 | -85.5% |
| C & F Berry Farms, LLC | $4,017 | $539 | -86.6% |
| Arnold C. Speaker | $532 | $532 | 0% |
| Elissa A. Platt | $3,663 | $516 | -85.9% |
| Danielle B. Scott | $2,567 | $513 | -80% |
| Rita Rae Rudny | $1,430 | $487 | -65.9% |
| Stephen James Ferrell | $1,166 | $394 | -66.2% |
| Cheryl Lund | $1,453 | $383 | -73.6% |
| Diana L. Smith | $0 | $382 | -- |
| Kaer-Den Farms, Inc. | $1,932 | $382 | -80.2% |
| Ruth Ann Black | $1,661 | $378 | -77.2% |
| Sheila A. Basile | $1,931 | $377 | -80.5% |
| Paul W. Newton | $1,372 | $377 | -72.5% |
| Clyde P Vanderhider JR | $1,188 | $366 | -69.2% |
| Gregory D. Woods | $1,924 | $360 | -81.3% |
| Sheryl L. Tatman | $350 | $350 | 0% |
| Marie Corsaw | $942 | $330 | -65% |
| Melva S Morfaw | $1,109 | $318 | -71.3% |
| Grover D. Ellis | $1,309 | $304 | -76.8% |
| Deanna Michelle Crawford | $1,056 | $293 | -72.3% |
| Joseph A. Mendoza | $0 | $275 | -- |
| Larita S. Galusha | $467 | $261 | -44.1% |
| Wayne Dillman | $254 | $254 | 0% |
| Mathew Lyons Jr. | $1,386 | $250 | -82% |
| Patsy J. Blake | $288 | $245 | -14.9% |
| Robert W Dolqueist | $655 | $236 | -64% |
| Sean Volberg | $649 | $194 | -70.1% |
| James Werschky | $1,319 | $179 | -86.4% |
| Honey Badgers Bee Farm | $1,619 | $150 | -90.7% |
| Ronald L. Fletcher | $631 | $110 | -82.6% |
| Christopher A. Nakoneczny | $352 | $102 | -71% |
| Eugene L. Nation | $957 | $95 | -90.1% |
| Zarena M Hardcastle | $74 | $74 | 0% |
| Dean Heseman | $16 | $16 | 0% |
| Claudette Heldreth | $312 | $14 | -95.5% |
| Betty L Krone Trust 200 | $2,471 | $0 | -100% |
| Brooksville Palms, Inc. | $35,171 | $0 | -100% |
| C & K Nursery, LLC | $19,839 | $0 | -100% |
| Cindy Reagan | $38,676 | $0 | -100% |
| Darlene Kavanaugh | $454 | $0 | -100% |
| Dixie Hill Farms, Inc. | $3,025 | $0 | -100% |
| Ernest E. Altman | $1,791 | $0 | -100% |
| Homard Products Company, LLC | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Janice Keeley | $270 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonas C. Riley | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Kelly J. Retzlaff | $288 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Moore Irrevocable Trust | $286 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca Marie Krassnoski | $2,277 | $0 | -100% |
| Red Pebble Trees, Inc. | $114,383 | $0 | -100% |
| Stewart's Tree Service, Inc. | $409,758 | $0 | -100% |
| Tisha L. Sermons | $288 | $0 | -100% |
| Twelve Oaks Community Farms, Inc. | $19,842 | $0 | -100% |
| Yvette Mechelle Strollo | $288 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Mosiman | $5,756 | $0 | -100% |
| Angela Turner | $4,736 | $0 | -100% |
| Todd Wolf | $12,594 | $0 | -100% |
| Vincent L. Kuka | $4,084 | $0 | -100% |
| David K Sauskojus | $3,558 | $0 | -100% |
| Pinwheel Nursery, Inc. | $9,924 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,862,477 | $485,673 | -73.9% |
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