Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 153 farmers in cities within Bear Lake County received a total of $1.6 million in 300 farm subsidies, a 54.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.5 million in 425 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Hunzeker & Sons | $492,206 | $148,619 | -69.8% |
| Brad Woolstenhulme | $228,314 | $144,281 | -36.8% |
| Lee Ann Woolstenhulme | $197,503 | $136,301 | -31% |
| Bryce Crane | $156,619 | $101,181 | -35.4% |
| Phelps Bros, LLC | $60,995 | $61,701 | 1.2% |
| 3 Mile Dairy Incorporated | $86,215 | $57,409 | -33.4% |
| Treygen Nelson | $104,547 | $54,641 | -47.7% |
| Heart-O-Rose Dairy, LLC | $424 | $38,112 | 8,888.7% |
| Lee Nelson | $42,006 | $33,167 | -21% |
| Jed Woolstenhulme | $41,674 | $32,253 | -22.6% |
| Kent J. Alleman | $69,538 | $30,877 | -55.6% |
| Sean Z. Bartschi | $69,440 | $25,903 | -62.7% |
| Kerry Romrell | $67,567 | $25,806 | -61.8% |
| Hulme Ranch, LLC | $94,147 | $25,730 | -72.7% |
| Ryan Shaul | $20,203 | $22,634 | 12% |
| Hawks & Sons | $90,442 | $22,123 | -75.5% |
| Don L. Crane | $31,275 | $21,567 | -31% |
| Kent Crane | $34,842 | $20,825 | -40.2% |
| Keetch 61 Ranch, LLC | $69,189 | $20,543 | -70.3% |
| Roy A. Bunderson | $68,999 | $18,912 | -72.6% |
| Jason Crane | $35,900 | $18,307 | -49% |
| Paul K. Alleman | $39,453 | $18,148 | -54% |
| Ward Bros Dairy | $57,884 | $17,313 | -70.1% |
| Demar Romrell | $16,489 | $15,938 | -3.3% |
| Diamond Heart Cattle Company, LLC | $103,500 | $14,528 | -86% |
| Paul Keetch - K7 Ranch | $51,864 | $14,461 | -72.1% |
| Phillip D. Bartschi | $51,569 | $14,270 | -72.3% |
| Dellene Rigby | $13,663 | $13,663 | 0% |
| Scott Nelson | $43,688 | $13,265 | -69.6% |
| Hennings Ranch, LLC | $7,431 | $12,800 | 72.3% |
| Layne J. Keetch | $13,846 | $11,943 | -13.7% |
| P & M Johnson Farm, LLC | $13,413 | $11,478 | -14.4% |
| Max Bunderson | $49,513 | $11,363 | -77.1% |
| Jaren W. Rigby | $14,147 | $11,250 | -20.5% |
| Carson Price | $10,506 | $11,167 | 6.3% |
| Don W. Jensen | $30,888 | $11,101 | -64.1% |
| Fred Nate | $45,338 | $10,481 | -76.9% |
| Jason K. Olson | $40,672 | $10,399 | -74.4% |
| Robert K. McLain | $10,818 | $9,768 | -9.7% |
| Quinn Andrew Jenson | $60,558 | $9,602 | -84.1% |
| Darlene Romrell | $9,263 | $8,712 | -5.9% |
| Elkhorn Ranch, LLC | $19,405 | $8,316 | -57.1% |
| Mark Reed Dayton | $20,497 | $8,309 | -59.5% |
| Jeff Bartschi | $8,079 | $7,894 | -2.3% |
| Janet W. Nelson | $13,758 | $7,238 | -47.4% |
| Rick S. Thomas | $13,719 | $7,188 | -47.6% |
| Paul Clark | $17,755 | $6,908 | -61.1% |
| Lynn C. Keetch | $20,302 | $6,353 | -68.7% |
| Ben Kunz Farms, LLC | $6,942 | $6,216 | -10.5% |
| Cheryl Willie | $6,128 | $6,128 | 0% |
| Glenn Transtrum | $17,127 | $6,115 | -64.3% |
| Val Keetch | $19,416 | $6,090 | -68.6% |
| Gregory Kunz | $7,683 | $6,019 | -21.7% |
| Stuart Crane | $7,059 | $5,939 | -15.9% |
| Clair Transtrum | $20,420 | $5,731 | -71.9% |
| Select Goat, LLC | $2,712 | $5,506 | 103% |
| Dan Kelsey | $16,686 | $5,485 | -67.1% |
| Melvin R. Crane | $14,200 | $5,397 | -62% |
| Malone D. Hemmert | $20,989 | $5,226 | -75.1% |
| Trey W. Shaul | $10,570 | $5,127 | -51.5% |
| Shannon Bunderson | $6,616 | $4,962 | -25% |
| Bryce Boehme | $10,326 | $4,859 | -52.9% |
| Jason Lutz | $12,317 | $4,303 | -65.1% |
| Mark Evans | $3,531 | $4,191 | 18.7% |
| Daymon Shaul | $7,835 | $4,129 | -47.3% |
| Nancy Hulme | $29,793 | $4,064 | -86.4% |
| Sterling R. Wallentine | $6,358 | $3,938 | -38.1% |
| Benjamin M. Eborn | $16,790 | $3,495 | -79.2% |
| Micah H. Rigby | $9,887 | $3,461 | -65% |
| Thomas Ranch, LLC | $15,774 | $3,424 | -78.3% |
| Gail M Rich Estate | $0 | $3,282 | -- |
| Dale Humpherys | $4,214 | $3,219 | -23.6% |
| Morton Hunter | $3,751 | $3,094 | -17.5% |
| Clint Humpherys | $4,136 | $2,979 | -28% |
| Steven R. Wallentine | $2,442 | $2,927 | 19.9% |
| Wynn Olsen | $12,854 | $2,774 | -78.4% |
| Keith N. Rigby | $11,931 | $2,751 | -76.9% |
| Douglas Armstrong | $2,701 | $2,701 | 0% |
| Vince R. Rogers | $24,608 | $2,682 | -89.1% |
| Rex Skinner | $4,774 | $2,661 | -44.3% |
| Todd Transtrum | $11,677 | $2,655 | -77.3% |
| Kolby K. Romrell | $13,559 | $2,553 | -81.2% |
| Robert Wallentine | $11,280 | $2,443 | -78.3% |
| U4 Ranch, LLC | $4,270 | $2,386 | -44.1% |
| Scott L. Wells | $10,632 | $2,146 | -79.8% |
| Devin K. Ward | $0 | $2,145 | -- |
| Dell Transtrum | $9,801 | $2,036 | -79.2% |
| Bobi Jean Lytle | $13,691 | $1,938 | -85.8% |
| Deloy W. Romrell | $3,841 | $1,923 | -49.9% |
| Dallas H & Theresa M Arnell Ranch, LLC | $7,498 | $1,826 | -75.6% |
| Chris W. Bowen | $2,245 | $1,683 | -25% |
| Pugmire Ranch, LLC | $7,249 | $1,671 | -76.9% |
| Deloy Kunz | $1,736 | $1,655 | -4.7% |
| Verna Jensen | $1,577 | $1,577 | 0% |
| Tanner S. Thomas | $7,381 | $1,520 | -79.4% |
| Justin Skinner | $6,204 | $1,507 | -75.7% |
| Nolan H. Phillips | $1,414 | $1,480 | 4.7% |
| Todd Wallentine | $13,721 | $1,473 | -89.3% |
| Todd Alleman | $2,127 | $1,450 | -31.8% |
| Brent J. Cleveland | $6,578 | $1,395 | -78.8% |
| Scott T. Crane | $4,271 | $1,390 | -67.5% |
| Douglas Thompson | $1,109 | $1,350 | 21.7% |
| Jason S. Merritt | $6,523 | $1,343 | -79.4% |
| Jay Christensen | $1,334 | $1,334 | 0% |
| Mark Christensen | $1,334 | $1,334 | 0% |
| Brad Wells | $1,137 | $1,302 | 14.5% |
| Travis James Bartschi | $2,934 | $1,268 | -56.8% |
| Joann Kempton | $1,638 | $1,232 | -24.8% |
| Jody Smith | $3,265 | $1,215 | -62.8% |
| Dennis Pugmire | $5,383 | $1,196 | -77.8% |
| Joseph Mckay Crane | $2,738 | $1,176 | -57% |
| Jared S. Mattson | $4,965 | $1,053 | -78.8% |
| Dylan P. Johnson | $2,079 | $1,016 | -51.1% |
| Michael Knapp | $4,774 | $1,013 | -78.8% |
| Tyson J. Hansen | $7,426 | $973 | -86.9% |
| Adam W. Davidson | $3,861 | $900 | -76.7% |
| Peter Crane | $784 | $890 | 13.5% |
| William R. Crane | $784 | $890 | 13.5% |
| Paul B. Johnson | $3,053 | $885 | -71% |
| Wayne Keetch | $3,645 | $870 | -76.1% |
| Wayne Thomas | $3,287 | $863 | -73.7% |
| Philip Ward | $205 | $793 | 286.8% |
| Micah C. Jensen | $3,663 | $769 | -79% |
| Charles E. Hulme | $645 | $756 | 17.2% |
| Jadelin Bethers | $5,249 | $748 | -85.7% |
| Lamar Silcox | $3,806 | $748 | -80.3% |
| Jim Lloyd | $3,938 | $745 | -81.1% |
| Jeffrey L. Smith | $2,651 | $728 | -72.5% |
| Devin Skinner | $894 | $694 | -22.4% |
| Milton Hayes | $613 | $688 | 12.2% |
| Rick Christensen | $668 | $668 | 0% |
| Jimmy Shawn Lloyd | $3,025 | $643 | -78.7% |
| Jerry Thornock | $2,607 | $610 | -76.6% |
| Laralynn Smith | $1,105 | $593 | -46.3% |
| Linda Price | $1,105 | $593 | -46.3% |
| Bruce Christensen | $1,105 | $593 | -46.3% |
| Dian Bartschi | $1,105 | $593 | -46.3% |
| Lois Woolstenhulme | $1,105 | $593 | -46.3% |
| Bruce Hueckstaedt | $585 | $562 | -3.9% |
| Danelle J. Woods | $528 | $520 | -1.5% |
| Nancy Marx | $943 | $482 | -48.9% |
| Randall Pitchford | $3,286 | $428 | -87% |
| Dean Davis | $4,072 | $403 | -90.1% |
| Blake Wells | $1,319 | $379 | -71.3% |
| Jake Knutti | $1,727 | $357 | -79.3% |
| Wayne Davidson | $632 | $350 | -44.6% |
| Angie Hunter | $806 | $327 | -59.4% |
| Dale Bethers | $590 | $319 | -45.9% |
| Jaren S. Pugmire | $564 | $301 | -46.6% |
| Richard Crane | $616 | $178 | -71.1% |
| Don C. Nye | $706 | $112 | -84.1% |
| Todd Matthews | $187 | $100 | -46.5% |
| Tanner Stuecklen | $15 | $15 | 0% |
| Matthew Y. Crane | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer Wirth | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Azdyn Bartschi | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Baker | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Cutter B. Rasmusson | $24,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Diana Kopetzky | $72 | $0 | -100% |
| Larae Romrell | $175 | $0 | -100% |
| Mayme G. Pugmire | $406 | $0 | -100% |
| Scot Hennings | $6,904 | $0 | -100% |
| Smith 3 Mile Ranch, LLC | $1,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Connar L Lutz | $3,300 | $0 | -100% |
| D. L. C. Lutz | $4,015 | $0 | -100% |
| Gail Rich | $3,285 | $0 | -100% |
| Lyman Bunderson | $171 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,501,761 | $1,580,966 | -54.9% |
Alerts Sign-up