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In 2021, 95 farmers in cities within Osceola County received a total of $1.4 million in 104 farm subsidies, a 56.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.2 million in 218 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm City Sod of Central FL, Inc. | $0 | $219,157 | -- |
| Gentry Sod Farms, LLC | $0 | $141,291 | -- |
| Sod Central, LLC | $0 | $91,940 | -- |
| Bronsons a Florida General Partnership | $391,193 | $79,200 | -79.8% |
| Don's Sod Company | $0 | $74,346 | -- |
| Mark D. Beck | $91,915 | $64,416 | -29.9% |
| Kempfer Cattle Company, LLP | $374,858 | $55,872 | -85.1% |
| Rockin' K Sod, LLC | $0 | $55,525 | -- |
| Rohde Family, LLC | $0 | $54,834 | -- |
| The Nature Conservancy | $48,297 | $50,000 | 3.5% |
| Tequila's Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $44,563 | -- |
| Mr. Han K. Hoang | $0 | $44,175 | -- |
| Circle Y Groves, LLC | $95,342 | $21,108 | -77.9% |
| Rosalinda Ritter | $0 | $20,482 | -- |
| Clyde R. Luke | $74,626 | $19,320 | -74.1% |
| John Walrod | $18,462 | $18,462 | 0% |
| Doc Partin Ranch | $91,319 | $17,641 | -80.7% |
| Henry Rohde, LLC | $68,530 | $17,272 | -74.8% |
| Mike Swaar | $62,267 | $17,142 | -72.5% |
| Robert -Robert E Smith Family Trust E Smith | $16,035 | $16,035 | 0% |
| Gilbert Andrew Tucker III | $35,466 | $15,944 | -55% |
| Lisa Rohde Harris, LLC | $62,494 | $15,743 | -74.8% |
| Je Davis Corporation | $15,011 | $15,022 | 0.1% |
| Jerry Lee Brown | $53,566 | $13,747 | -74.3% |
| Crescent O Ranch, LLC | $57,668 | $13,140 | -77.2% |
| Peggy L. Whaley | $54,659 | $11,766 | -78.5% |
| Charlene Carlson-Karnes | $11,158 | $11,158 | 0% |
| Edward L. Partin Jr. | $40,656 | $9,837 | -75.8% |
| Michael Zint | $9,649 | $9,616 | -0.3% |
| Judith a Constant Rev Living Trustee UTD 6-26-2007 | $41,839 | $9,236 | -77.9% |
| Halfway Hammock, LLC | $34,846 | $8,625 | -75.2% |
| Bronson Land and Agriculture a Florida Limited Partner, Ltd. | $34,573 | $8,322 | -75.9% |
| Katherine Partin Baker | $35,189 | $7,613 | -78.4% |
| C E Outdoor Services, Inc. | $98,099 | $6,619 | -93.3% |
| Cheryl Edwards | $25,832 | $6,587 | -74.5% |
| Shane J. Platt | $25,014 | $5,588 | -77.7% |
| Iola Landis Irrevocable Trust | $12,022 | $5,445 | -54.7% |
| Sheri B Kigos | $5,347 | $5,347 | 0% |
| George W. Arnold | $11,181 | $5,010 | -55.2% |
| Live Oak Ranch, Inc. | $23,529 | $4,996 | -78.8% |
| Richard McConahay | $4,832 | $4,832 | 0% |
| Lemuel Prescott | $11,220 | $4,562 | -59.3% |
| S & L Nursery, Inc. | $21,202 | $4,379 | -79.3% |
| Clint Crews | $13,211 | $3,967 | -70% |
| Reuben Joseph O'Berry | $29,983 | $3,692 | -87.7% |
| Folsom Family Ranch, LLC | $12,452 | $3,644 | -70.7% |
| Steve G. Knowles | $17,925 | $3,424 | -80.9% |
| Booth Cattle Company, LLC | $14,630 | $3,265 | -77.7% |
| Johnny B. Baize II | $14,653 | $3,033 | -79.3% |
| Rosalie Creamer | $2,883 | $2,883 | 0% |
| Ivey Groves Limited | $13,013 | $2,869 | -78% |
| Timothy Shirah | $0 | $2,750 | -- |
| Double U Cattle Company, LLC | $13,255 | $2,694 | -79.7% |
| Bruce E. Ramsey | $2,570 | $2,018 | -21.5% |
| Nellie J. Wright | $2,765 | $1,925 | -30.4% |
| Melanie E Legros Family Trust | $0 | $1,919 | -- |
| Russell A. Shelton | $8,283 | $1,916 | -76.9% |
| Tracy Wayne Stubbs | $0 | $1,879 | -- |
| Clay Jowers | $8,351 | $1,770 | -78.8% |
| Bill Horsman | $4,429 | $1,538 | -65.3% |
| Joh-Vannah Nursery, Inc. | $29,640 | $1,288 | -95.7% |
| Herbert D. Harbin | $6,138 | $1,215 | -80.2% |
| Jackson Whaley Shirah | $0 | $1,100 | -- |
| Rachel Shirah | $0 | $1,100 | -- |
| James R. Burchfield | $1,716 | $1,088 | -36.6% |
| 3 Beez Honey Farm, Inc. | $3,710 | $1,075 | -71% |
| Thom T Leheup | $3,861 | $1,012 | -73.8% |
| Reed Berlinsky | $0 | $990 | -- |
| Tomkath Investments, Inc. | $4,826 | $986 | -79.6% |
| Mary Diane Orr | $985 | $985 | 0% |
| Lou Zoerb | $980 | $980 | 0% |
| Charlotte H. Davis | $860 | $860 | 0% |
| David-David and Carol Jones Rev Liv Trustee Jones | $3,884 | $795 | -79.5% |
| Myles L. Hustad | $717 | $717 | 0% |
| James R. Hamblen | $1,055 | $652 | -38.2% |
| Bonnie Jean Dixon | $5,863 | $576 | -90.2% |
| Nelle Norris | $1,162 | $514 | -55.8% |
| John J. White | $2,339 | $512 | -78.1% |
| Mundell Farms, LLC | $505 | $505 | 0% |
| Theodore M Buisker | $490 | $490 | 0% |
| Chad Garmany | $2,244 | $487 | -78.3% |
| Ruth Ann Styck | $449 | $449 | 0% |
| Manuel P. Santos | $22,392 | $406 | -98.2% |
| Stuart Schmidgall | $966 | $359 | -62.8% |
| James J. Schonefeld | $1,435 | $312 | -78.3% |
| Lee Mann | $1,771 | $298 | -83.2% |
| Craig A. Brown | $0 | $284 | -- |
| David Chris Church | $946 | $252 | -73.4% |
| Karen Thornton | $29,579 | $207 | -99.3% |
| Daniel Coggins | $2,351 | $188 | -92% |
| Amanda Sutton | $162 | $149 | -8% |
| Kasey Ann Puckett | $535 | $124 | -76.8% |
| Timothy Smith Galladay | $367 | $76 | -79.3% |
| Green Lakes Farm, LLC | $25,553 | $46 | -99.8% |
| Howard Wood | $1,877 | $34 | -98.2% |
| Blacktip Cattle, LLC | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Debbie Glueck | $137 | $0 | -100% |
| Jolene K. Samara | $145 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Ewing - Joseph T. T. F. Ewing | $1,661 | $0 | -100% |
| Marilyn Atteberry | $193 | $0 | -100% |
| A Plus Lawn & Tree Service, LLC | $53,550 | $0 | -100% |
| Angelina Redman | $3,685 | $0 | -100% |
| Bauknight Partners, LLC | $43,010 | $0 | -100% |
| Billy L. Kelly Jr. | $896 | $0 | -100% |
| Blackwater Fishery, Inc. | $134,933 | $0 | -100% |
| Bradley Chisholm | $7,785 | $0 | -100% |
| Brenda T. Hebert | $102 | $0 | -100% |
| Bull Bay Nursery, LLC | $25,626 | $0 | -100% |
| Flora Express, Inc. | $495,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank C. Schaaf | $3,362 | $0 | -100% |
| Gamebird Groves, Inc. | $13,862 | $0 | -100% |
| Greg O'Neal | $1,411 | $0 | -100% |
| IN a Heartbeat, Inc. | $3,804 | $0 | -100% |
| Kaitley Shirah | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Strecker | $2,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Maureen Fertic | $7,535 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray T Isernhagen Family Trust | $457 | $0 | -100% |
| Teresa Cook | $894 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,177,775 | $1,392,212 | -56.2% |
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