Farms throughout cities in Lemhi County received $528,960 less in subsidies in 2021 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture compared to the year before.
In 2021, 90 farmers in cities within Lemhi County received a total of $1.7 million in 196 farm subsidies, a 23.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.2 million in 194 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whittaker Two Dot Ranch, LLC | $395,654 | $340,186 | -14% |
| Beyeler Ranches, LLC | $68,361 | $105,712 | 54.6% |
| Whittaker Commercial Cattle, LLC | $90,072 | $99,165 | 10.1% |
| Phillip F. Moulton | $27,786 | $62,374 | 124.5% |
| Iron Creek Cattle Company, LLC | $76,357 | $58,138 | -23.9% |
| Dale Edwards | $0 | $55,758 | — |
| Kirtley Creek Livestock, LLC | $61,222 | $55,336 | -9.6% |
| Paul W. Edwards | $0 | $53,649 | — |
| Salmon River Ranches Company, Ltd. | $21,589 | $48,922 | 126.6% |
| Mr. Carl James Lufkin | $60,221 | $47,512 | -21.1% |
| Verdell Olson | $20,519 | $42,623 | 107.7% |
| Roy M. Hoffman Jr. | $61,480 | $41,845 | -31.9% |
| Steven Johnson | $38,944 | $39,763 | 2.1% |
| Ellsworth Angus | $143,212 | $38,870 | -72.9% |
| Kent Pharis | $41,396 | $35,321 | -14.7% |
| Edward M. Snook | $43,915 | $34,672 | -21% |
| Peterson Land & LVST | $33,307 | $34,264 | 2.9% |
| Lowberg, Inc. | $0 | $31,609 | — |
| Dan E. French | $32,073 | $30,417 | -5.2% |
| Nelson Angus Ranch, LLC | $110,075 | $27,540 | -75% |
| Kurt Bird | $75,847 | $26,227 | -65.4% |
| Lowell Cerise | $78,660 | $22,224 | -71.7% |
| Don V. Olson | $68,587 | $21,494 | -68.7% |
| Bruce L. Mulkey | $9,735 | $19,741 | 102.8% |
| Boyd and Barbara Stokes | $54,137 | $16,445 | -69.6% |
| James O. Weiss | $67,771 | $15,966 | -76.4% |
| Hubert E. Miller | $10,791 | $14,606 | 35.4% |
| Randy Goodell | $5,709 | $14,548 | 154.8% |
| Udy Ranch, LLC | $26,046 | $14,390 | -44.8% |
| Randy M. Capps | $209 | $14,384 | 6,782.3% |
| Purcell Ranch Partnership | $0 | $12,934 | — |
| Stephenson Herefords, LLC | $22,228 | $12,764 | -42.6% |
| Bennett Orr | $7,920 | $11,918 | 50.5% |
| Roy Hoffman | $58,534 | $9,865 | -83.1% |
| Kevin D. Hoffman | $58,939 | $9,394 | -84.1% |
| Cecil T. Jackson | $5,944 | $9,335 | 57% |
| Diamond X Post & Pole, LLC | $0 | $9,327 | — |
| Kent Bird | $32,903 | $9,067 | -72.4% |
| Troy Olson | $31,273 | $8,390 | -73.2% |
| Ralph L. McRea | $16,533 | $8,049 | -51.3% |
| Chip Johnson | $24,293 | $7,232 | -70.2% |
| Jenelle E. Thomas | $2,501 | $7,028 | 181% |
| John B. Tracy | $24,213 | $6,803 | -71.9% |
| Mr. Paul E. Fisher | $5,002 | $5,928 | 18.5% |
| Jim Dartt | $5,061 | $5,848 | 15.6% |
| Brock Allen Teller | $5,004 | $5,789 | 15.7% |
| Jared P. Pilkerton | $4,680 | $5,715 | 22.1% |
| Jay R. Stokes | $26,842 | $5,618 | -79.1% |
| Charles Stipe | $917 | $5,306 | 478.6% |
| Rusty K. Hamilton | $3,564 | $5,126 | 43.8% |
| Brigham S. Peters | $2,109 | $3,961 | 87.8% |
| Michael W. Phillips | $2,962 | $3,886 | 31.2% |
| Jake Aldous | $0 | $3,685 | — |
| Merrill Paul Schoby | $2,680 | $3,239 | 20.9% |
| Colter Lewis Bailey | $12,991 | $3,204 | -75.3% |
| Vinn Strupp | $19,271 | $3,001 | -84.4% |
| Allan Purcell | $12,463 | $2,792 | -77.6% |
| Lloyd G. Morton | $1,683 | $2,634 | 56.5% |
| Brian James Morton | $1,617 | $2,600 | 60.8% |
| Tyrell G. Barrett | $1,782 | $2,254 | 26.5% |
| Kim G. Thomas | $704 | $2,058 | 192.3% |
| Shawn V. Olson | $13,253 | $2,048 | -84.5% |
| Michael J. Thomas | $0 | $1,925 | — |
| Charles Lynn Thomas | $0 | $1,678 | — |
| James C. Malcom | $1,518 | $1,658 | 9.2% |
| Paul E. Fisher Jr. | $4,669 | $1,649 | -64.7% |
| Charlotte Snook | $7,658 | $1,615 | -78.9% |
| Cody Bird | $8,631 | $1,549 | -82.1% |
| Dillon C. Lufkin | $6,959 | $1,302 | -81.3% |
| Kerry Purcell | $4,367 | $1,036 | -76.3% |
| Judy Skinner | $2,079 | $954 | -54.1% |
| John Jakovac | $3,988 | $951 | -76.2% |
| Mary Ellen Watkins Estate | $1,541 | $932 | -39.5% |
| Gary Williams | $4,312 | $910 | -78.9% |
| Nick Ellsworth | $4,810 | $893 | -81.4% |
| Kurt A. Williams | $3,300 | $770 | -76.7% |
| Derrick Tyler Manson | $3,707 | $758 | -79.6% |
| Daniel A. Snyder | $659 | $639 | -3% |
| Russell F. Thurow | $569 | $569 | 0% |
| Kristina Hamilton | $4,690 | $457 | -90.3% |
| Nick Tracy | $2,123 | $447 | -78.9% |
| Gary R. Jenson | $1,969 | $416 | -78.9% |
| Leslie a Gray-Bailey | $1,486 | $380 | -74.4% |
| Swift River Farm | $5,978 | $362 | -93.9% |
| Lazy 3L Cattle Company, LLC | $2,466 | $353 | -85.7% |
| Clay Jackson | $0 | $330 | — |
| Ryan Caywood Kesl | $1,368 | $277 | -79.8% |
| Kimberly Mcconnaghy | $1,731 | $231 | -86.7% |
| Kenneth J. Boese | $365 | $179 | -51% |
| Brent Wilcox Exempt GST Trustee Under the Wilcox Family | $0 | $151 | — |
| Brent Wilcox Exempt GST Trustee Under | $346 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,212,830 | $1,683,870 | -23.9% |
