Farms throughout cities in Macomb County received $1 million less in subsidies in 2021 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture compared to the year before.
In 2021, 67 farmers in cities within Macomb County received a total of $549,793 in 121 farm subsidies, a 64.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.6 million in 238 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolak Farms Limited Partnership | $124,451 | $53,061 | -57.4% |
| Schramm Farms, LLC | $88,175 | $50,152 | -43.1% |
| Van Houtte Farms Company | $87,798 | $49,330 | -43.8% |
| Happy Cow Farms, Inc. | $95,217 | $46,682 | -51% |
| ELM Acres, LLC | $79,817 | $43,279 | -45.8% |
| Kyle Farms, Inc. | $17,443 | $41,038 | 135.3% |
| Sharon M Carson Trust | $27,001 | $24,543 | -9.1% |
| Lawrence Dehondt | $26,000 | $24,012 | -7.6% |
| Josephine F. Korleski Trust | $0 | $23,984 | — |
| Larry Hill | $83,089 | $22,123 | -73.4% |
| Northern Farm Market, LLC | $76,795 | $21,354 | -72.2% |
| DLS Fox Farms, LLC | $34,162 | $12,214 | -64.2% |
| Kenneth L Dehondt | $34,463 | $9,913 | -71.2% |
| Mike Kappa | $18,385 | $9,064 | -50.7% |
| Kiehler Farms, LLC | $28,566 | $8,994 | -68.5% |
| Michigan Pumpkin Producers, LLC | $25,946 | $7,640 | -70.6% |
| Lona A. Fallon | $7,319 | $7,319 | 0% |
| Mary Lu Rawlings | $20,328 | $7,159 | -64.8% |
| Monroe Adams | $3,141 | $6,281 | 100% |
| Gaier Farms & Greenhouse, Inc. | $63,831 | $6,268 | -90.2% |
| Roger S. Rawlings | $7,455 | $5,556 | -25.5% |
| C J Cox Farms, LLC | $17,361 | $5,227 | -69.9% |
| Brian K. Kautz | $12,010 | $4,500 | -62.5% |
| Blake’s Big Apple, Inc. | $78,476 | $4,308 | -94.5% |
| Eric Cox | $10,084 | $4,257 | -57.8% |
| Charles C Cregeur | $4,470 | $4,110 | -8.1% |
| Daniel G. Fox | $8,755 | $3,813 | -56.4% |
| Gerard J Right | $3,410 | $3,410 | 0% |
| Donald Marcath | $7,217 | $3,090 | -57.2% |
| Estate of Elizabeth Green Chorney | $0 | $2,868 | — |
| Westridge Farms, LLC | $6,872 | $2,567 | -62.6% |
| Robert E. Matteson | $1,271 | $2,134 | 67.9% |
| William T. Markey | $2,832 | $1,985 | -29.9% |
| James G. Tittsworth | $1,836 | $1,836 | 0% |
| C R Setterberg Farm Account | $9,453 | $1,788 | -81.1% |
| Robert Cregeur | $1,901 | $1,677 | -11.8% |
| James Zender | $3,881 | $1,626 | -58.1% |
| Karen Reed | $4,611 | $1,616 | -65% |
| Charles K. Harmon | $3,161 | $1,396 | -55.8% |
| K and B Farms, LLC | $867 | $1,156 | 33.3% |
| Thomas W. Halstead | $4,551 | $1,136 | -75% |
| Forever Green Farms, LLC | $1,984 | $1,135 | -42.8% |
| Kara Lewis | $1,077 | $1,077 | 0% |
| Michael L. Kilpatrick | $376 | $1,060 | 181.9% |
| Tanner Miller | $1,781 | $1,001 | -43.8% |
| Arthur B Ditullio and Gretchen M Ditullio Rev Fam Trustee | $2,333 | $942 | -59.6% |
| Roth Family Living Trust | $1,614 | $937 | -41.9% |
| Gaier Commodities, LLC | $3,150 | $927 | -70.6% |
| Rhosan Beatham-Zebelian | $694 | $926 | 33.4% |
| Walter G. Deaner | $1,461 | $840 | -42.5% |
| Lee Drummond | $4,141 | $779 | -81.2% |
| Jacquelyn J Pantano Living Trust | $41 | $742 | 1,709.8% |
| Blake’s Orchard, Inc. | $106,576 | $718 | -99.3% |
| Clara A. Carver | $2,617 | $668 | -74.5% |
| Thomas J. Ballard | $2,202 | $657 | -70.2% |
| Gail M. Ballard | $2,027 | $614 | -69.7% |
| Cold Frame Farm, LLC | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Mark Arthur Foster | $571 | $365 | -36.1% |
| Yvonne Greyson | $359 | $359 | 0% |
| Mark Lietke | $280 | $254 | -9.3% |
| Hunter E. Long | $693 | $204 | -70.6% |
| Billy Johnson | $285 | $176 | -38.2% |
| Denise Marie Lucarelli | $0 | $142 | — |
| Philip D Weagel | $452 | $133 | -70.6% |
| Martin Reif | $175 | $116 | -33.7% |
| Silvano Palmieri | $104 | $37 | -64.4% |
| Marvin Cole Estate | $132 | $18 | -86.4% |
| Blake’s Almont, LLC | $58,600 | $0 | -100% |
| Burgher Bend Family Farm, LLC | $9,637 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale A. Jenuwine | $1,563 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth Chorney | $4,009 | $0 | -100% |
| Greystone Gardens, Inc. | $24,364 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Gaier Farms, LLC | $181,576 | $0 | -100% |
| David E. Lundquist | $562 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Adams | $3,141 | $0 | -100% |
| Dennis Skiendzior | $2,482 | $0 | -100% |
| Donna J. Smith | $132 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacqueline Goretski | $1,428 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith R. Spiehs | $105 | $0 | -100% |
| Mcdowell & Coffenberry | $1,134 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacquelyn Pantano | $6,197 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,562,956 | $549,793 | -64.8% |
