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In 2021, 210 farmers in cities within Eau Claire County received a total of $2.6 million in 397 farm subsidies, a 44.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4.7 million in 943 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Eau Claire County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Schulz | $359,460 | $150,110 | -58.2% |
| Bears Grass Dairy, Inc. | $331,979 | $135,952 | -59% |
| Todd T. Stanek | $90,565 | $131,032 | 44.7% |
| Donald Pieper | $156,107 | $105,684 | -32.3% |
| Walker Bros Farm | $163,405 | $97,979 | -40% |
| Gabler Farms | $119,518 | $89,125 | -25.4% |
| Daniel Von Haden | $103,074 | $69,261 | -32.8% |
| Scott E. Randall | $127,268 | $62,261 | -51.1% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $55,243 | -- |
| Paul W. Rauch | $63,741 | $54,021 | -15.2% |
| Bergman Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Scott Geske | $125,966 | $51,896 | -58.8% |
| James Dehnke | $80,250 | $51,877 | -35.4% |
| Lonnie I. Kuehl | $41 | $49,070 | 119,582.9% |
| D & D Trust | $76,651 | $45,238 | -41% |
| Kory Berlin | $40,752 | $44,958 | 10.3% |
| Larry Wathke | $45,329 | $42,470 | -6.3% |
| Shaun Koenig Logging, LLC | $0 | $40,105 | -- |
| Fischer Brothers | $115,530 | $39,544 | -65.8% |
| Daniel R. Boettcher | $40,152 | $38,069 | -5.2% |
| Steven Haldeman | $23,298 | $37,033 | 59% |
| Ricky K. Strauch | $51,972 | $36,750 | -29.3% |
| James Books | $46,963 | $35,923 | -23.5% |
| Karow Farms | $64,232 | $35,508 | -44.7% |
| Matthew D. Krenz | $54,747 | $34,944 | -36.2% |
| David Messerschmidt | $44,975 | $33,166 | -26.3% |
| Dale Randall & Sons, Inc. | $176,188 | $32,627 | -81.5% |
| Darin Noel | $42,553 | $32,026 | -24.7% |
| Wayne Nelson | $28,622 | $28,622 | 0% |
| Clifford Boullion | $43,811 | $25,610 | -41.5% |
| Richard Boullion | $43,797 | $25,610 | -41.5% |
| Allison Bredlau | $0 | $25,440 | -- |
| Aaron F. Wilhelm | $51,064 | $23,421 | -54.1% |
| Paul Whaley | $57,400 | $22,859 | -60.2% |
| David R. Duerkop | $38,406 | $22,160 | -42.3% |
| Gregory Stanek | $30,097 | $22,038 | -26.8% |
| Steven Erdman | $62,043 | $19,570 | -68.5% |
| Ronald Steinke | $19,649 | $19,326 | -1.6% |
| Randy R. Staves | $38,480 | $19,098 | -50.4% |
| Mark Goings | $17,507 | $17,747 | 1.4% |
| Dennis Volbrecht | $59,606 | $17,597 | -70.5% |
| Lance J. Stensen | $44,377 | $17,100 | -61.5% |
| Gary Roberts | $27,076 | $17,022 | -37.1% |
| Cottage Garden Trust | $16,895 | $16,895 | 0% |
| Brown Bros Farms | $48,970 | $16,162 | -67% |
| Carl Knudtson | $36,129 | $15,095 | -58.2% |
| David W. Cullinan | $4,056 | $13,531 | 233.6% |
| Teeple Farms, Inc. | $7,331 | $13,129 | 79.1% |
| Charles David Lindhart-Charles D. Lindhart Trust No. 1 | $12,967 | $12,967 | 0% |
| Kyle M. Schiefelbein | $37,520 | $12,912 | -65.6% |
| Orville C. Olsen | $17,279 | $11,791 | -31.8% |
| Thomas Kildahl | $0 | $11,498 | -- |
| Dehnkes Dairy | $37,153 | $10,695 | -71.2% |
| Larry Myhre | $16,477 | $10,400 | -36.9% |
| Steve Hanson | $10,259 | $10,259 | 0% |
| Eric J. Pettis | $11,192 | $9,575 | -14.4% |
| Dudley C. Smith Jr. | $29,535 | $9,202 | -68.8% |
| Joshua C. Weltzin | $13,684 | $8,930 | -34.7% |
| Melvin L. Dehnke | $33,858 | $8,899 | -73.7% |
| Roger Henning | $11,633 | $8,366 | -28.1% |
| Gary Jungerberg | $8,290 | $7,967 | -3.9% |
| Devin D Schlewitz | $25,938 | $7,719 | -70.2% |
| Kurt Folkers | $31,463 | $7,711 | -75.5% |
| Douglas Krenz | $20,336 | $7,538 | -62.9% |
| Henry Family, LLC | $9,941 | $7,524 | -24.3% |
| Daniel O. Luedtke | $21,300 | $7,382 | -65.3% |
| Nickolas P Zimbrich | $0 | $7,036 | -- |
| Dean R. Klingbeil | $19,232 | $6,826 | -64.5% |
| Patricia Vollbrecht | $18,201 | $6,412 | -64.8% |
| Jason J. Jaquish | $19,056 | $6,379 | -66.5% |
| Neil Seidling | $6,320 | $6,320 | 0% |
| Matthew Gabler | $18,206 | $6,282 | -65.5% |
| D & F Farms, LLC | $13,991 | $6,170 | -55.9% |
| Dean Zimmerman | $24,089 | $6,113 | -74.6% |
| Ronald Horlacher | $22,130 | $5,709 | -74.2% |
| Clarence L. Boettcher | $17,576 | $5,405 | -69.2% |
| Brian Steinke | $13,686 | $5,350 | -60.9% |
| Derek J. Frank | $10,469 | $5,307 | -49.3% |
| Peter J. Gregor | $13,615 | $5,303 | -61.1% |
| Glenn M. Johnson | $0 | $5,245 | -- |
| Brandon L. Boettcher | $16,978 | $5,236 | -69.2% |
| Laffe Farms | $15,150 | $5,141 | -66.1% |
| Thomas B Pranckus | $12,331 | $5,058 | -59% |
| Phillip Hazard | $7,635 | $5,013 | -34.3% |
| William D. Henke | $8,179 | $4,838 | -40.8% |
| Bears Grass Land, LLC | $15,533 | $4,822 | -69% |
| Perry D. Gingerich | $5,124 | $4,755 | -7.2% |
| Dennis Schiefelbein | $29,612 | $4,584 | -84.5% |
| James Hampton | $8,712 | $4,370 | -49.8% |
| Dean E. Johnston | $15,934 | $4,358 | -72.6% |
| Jeff Schumacher | $12,209 | $4,301 | -64.8% |
| Richard Schultz | $4,105 | $4,105 | 0% |
| Lee Winrich | $9,529 | $4,062 | -57.4% |
| Allyn G. Gunderson | $19,865 | $3,998 | -79.9% |
| James Schumacher | $11,686 | $3,990 | -65.9% |
| Ervin Zimmerman | $0 | $3,876 | -- |
| William Gabler | $18,712 | $3,863 | -79.4% |
| Thomas E. Brown | $6,282 | $3,852 | -38.7% |
| Jerrol Rindal | $7,902 | $3,685 | -53.4% |
| Cory Kildahl | $3,682 | $3,682 | 0% |
| John Pettis | $23,354 | $3,464 | -85.2% |
| Aaron L. Tiry | $3,431 | $3,431 | 0% |
| Timothy J. Schneider | $3,415 | $3,415 | 0% |
| Brittany Honadel | $12,570 | $3,394 | -73% |
| Joel J. Eigner | $3,374 | $3,374 | 0% |
| Thomas E. Pieper | $28,824 | $3,365 | -88.3% |
| Janet Buley | $3,224 | $3,224 | 0% |
| Sylvia Meyer | $7,637 | $3,147 | -58.8% |
| John Kolar | $3,347 | $3,135 | -6.3% |
| Joan Berlin | $3,102 | $3,102 | 0% |
| Ronald Gard | $4,338 | $3,065 | -29.3% |
| Rita E. Steele | $0 | $3,036 | -- |
| Douglas P. Sorensen | $9,284 | $3,029 | -67.4% |
| Richard Brown | $10,216 | $3,028 | -70.4% |
| Donald Von Haden | $6,157 | $3,003 | -51.2% |
| James Stensen | $20,985 | $2,987 | -85.8% |
| Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve, Inc. | $0 | $2,852 | -- |
| Henke Trust of 1993 | $0 | $2,852 | -- |
| Jeffrey Goss | $3,047 | $2,827 | -7.2% |
| Vaughn W. Lierman | $2,822 | $2,822 | 0% |
| Justin H. Thur | $13,202 | $2,807 | -78.7% |
| Scott D. Erickson | $2,784 | $2,784 | 0% |
| Ervin C. Hackel | $9,947 | $2,739 | -72.5% |
| Adam C. Nordgaard | $6,061 | $2,712 | -55.3% |
| Lewis J. Sandberg | $7,205 | $2,616 | -63.7% |
| Russell Krenz | $6,423 | $2,598 | -59.6% |
| Schiefelbein Cattle & Grain, LLC | $10,050 | $2,549 | -74.6% |
| Steve Gerike | $0 | $2,515 | -- |
| Brian S. Boehnen | $2,482 | $2,482 | 0% |
| Dennis Knuth | $0 | $2,464 | -- |
| Keith S. Wampole | $5,608 | $2,287 | -59.2% |
| Norman Anderson | $9,505 | $2,229 | -76.5% |
| Nanette Marie Lahn | $4,462 | $2,204 | -50.6% |
| Cota Family Irrevocable Trust | $2,153 | $2,153 | 0% |
| Gerald Schiefelbein | $7,467 | $2,131 | -71.5% |
| Wayne Koenig | $2,065 | $2,065 | 0% |
| Julie Huff | $0 | $2,059 | -- |
| Diane M. King | $0 | $1,992 | -- |
| Dennis J. Hudson | $5,867 | $1,977 | -66.3% |
| Vernon L. Dehnke | $6,842 | $1,907 | -72.1% |
| Jay G Nording | $1,865 | $1,865 | 0% |
| Scott J. Gerike | $5,824 | $1,839 | -68.4% |
| Michael P. Weiss | $3,926 | $1,777 | -54.7% |
| David W. Markham | $1,755 | $1,755 | 0% |
| David E. Bertrang | $0 | $1,695 | -- |
| Edward Raether | $1,671 | $1,671 | 0% |
| Robert Steinke | $4,326 | $1,643 | -62% |
| Benjamin M. Mosley | $508 | $1,548 | 204.7% |
| John A. Schilling | $1,998 | $1,544 | -22.7% |
| Elaine Sell | $7,063 | $1,540 | -78.2% |
| Andrew M Kudlack | $6,088 | $1,514 | -75.1% |
| Alan D Chelmo | $1,474 | $1,474 | 0% |
| David Kragness | $1,566 | $1,449 | -7.5% |
| Gordon D. Waller | $1,430 | $1,430 | 0% |
| Duane R. Klindworth | $21,380 | $1,413 | -93.4% |
| Larry Sternitzky | $1,408 | $1,408 | 0% |
| Larry Heath | $1,790 | $1,403 | -21.6% |
| Mark Milbee | $4,086 | $1,392 | -65.9% |
| Bruce Krenz | $14,144 | $1,375 | -90.3% |
| Danyelle Ann Steinke | $6,989 | $1,300 | -81.4% |
| Jessie Ann Trescher | $0 | $1,288 | -- |
| Bobby Jo Sewell | $1,288 | $1,288 | 0% |
| Jason Kirkham | $7,833 | $1,277 | -83.7% |
| Loretta Schauer | $2,789 | $1,140 | -59.1% |
| Donna Dickinsen | $1,133 | $1,133 | 0% |
| Benjamin J. Books | $2,076 | $1,099 | -47.1% |
| Jeffrey A. Stensen | $2,202 | $1,072 | -51.3% |
| Alan Henning | $16,260 | $1,012 | -93.8% |
| Michael J. Bradley | $2,839 | $958 | -66.3% |
| Jacob Tumm | $892 | $892 | 0% |
| Richard A. Klimek | $851 | $851 | 0% |
| Eugene Fischer | $1,456 | $828 | -43.1% |
| Donald Greger | $6,757 | $817 | -87.9% |
| Kim Harden | $888 | $815 | -8.2% |
| Troy G Malcein | $8,094 | $796 | -90.2% |
| Brian Lee Boettcher | $2,073 | $771 | -62.8% |
| Lynn Bohl | $740 | $740 | 0% |
| Breezy Knoll Farm, LLC | $1,982 | $727 | -63.3% |
| Kent Knuth | $2,591 | $709 | -72.6% |
| Brent D Dickinsen | $7,886 | $706 | -91% |
| Kyle Konwinski | $0 | $680 | -- |
| Michael Weggen | $6,863 | $620 | -91% |
| Kyle Nyseth | $890 | $609 | -31.6% |
| Randy A. Volbrecht | $2,125 | $597 | -71.9% |
| Romania Sieg | $546 | $546 | 0% |
| Dean Laube | $541 | $541 | 0% |
| Brian M. Briski | $898 | $516 | -42.5% |
| Harley Voetmann | $433 | $433 | 0% |
| Thomas Woodford | $2,311 | $417 | -82% |
| Robert Larson | $675 | $403 | -40.3% |
| John F. Schilling | $401 | $401 | 0% |
| Victor Price | $365 | $365 | 0% |
| Bruce R. Steinke | $563 | $338 | -40% |
| Jerry Stensen | $9,457 | $326 | -96.6% |
| Michael J. Schummer | $290 | $290 | 0% |
| Peter Mueller | $217 | $269 | 24% |
| Scott C. Nesbit | $265 | $265 | 0% |
| Michael Erdman | $196 | $261 | 33.2% |
| Sarah Sue Rogers | $231 | $240 | 3.9% |
| Vern Luedtke | $1,088 | $165 | -84.8% |
| Brian Shoemaker | $0 | $163 | -- |
| Donald Nehring | $2,012 | $156 | -92.2% |
| Kleinhans Family Farms, LLC | $924 | $110 | -88.1% |
| Michelle L. Herrick | $0 | $96 | -- |
| Todd L. Scholze | $137 | $77 | -43.8% |
| Susan E. Stephan | $60 | $60 | 0% |
| Margaret Mueller | $44 | $54 | 22.7% |
| Roxann Bourget | $97 | $41 | -57.7% |
| Marcella E. Pettis | $1,216 | $8 | -99.3% |
| Jeffrey McCann | $129 | $2 | -98.4% |
| B & R Iowa Hunting Properties, LLC | $2,890 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $30,108 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley I. Broberg | $14 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian P. Schulz | $469 | $0 | -100% |
| Carol Peuse | $900 | $0 | -100% |
| Christine R. Bethke | $232 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Meyer | $1,446 | $0 | -100% |
| David Von Haden | $17,894 | $0 | -100% |
| Delores Starck | $109 | $0 | -100% |
| Dennis Bergman | $534 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary Pettis | $736 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathleen M. Johnson | $5,562 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth R. Caldwell | $1,230 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin D. Byers | $20,138 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul W. Rauch | $58,905 | $0 | -100% |
| Randy W. Peterson | $623 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Peuse | $2,407 | $0 | -100% |
| Rudolph A. Henning | $1,160 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley B. Sell | $597 | $0 | -100% |
| Steve Goss | $1,521 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven C. Arndt | $132 | $0 | -100% |
| Theresa Pettis | $1,470 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Kildahl | $11,498 | $0 | -100% |
| Warren Honadel Jr. | $3,908 | $0 | -100% |
| Angela Lemay | $11,341 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey Gerike | $171 | $0 | -100% |
| Nathan F. Stobb | $1,588 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul I. Benson | $741 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard W Vojtik | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Alan Gruba | $43 | $0 | -100% |
| Arlene Hoeting | $443 | $0 | -100% |
| Cameron L. Folkers | $13,312 | $0 | -100% |
| Chester H. Steele | $3,238 | $0 | -100% |
| Denise Amrhein-Sprunk | $111 | $0 | -100% |
| Duane Knuth | $457 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward Accola | $1,273 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric D Weggen | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve | $2,852 | $0 | -100% |
| Ione Shong | $919 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason A. Wathke | $274 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeff Welke | $2,107 | $0 | -100% |
| John Kaeding | $5,457 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph M. Wathke | $268 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Perkovich | $236 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Sudbrink | $2,536 | $0 | -100% |
| Mueller Hilltop Farms, Inc. | $195 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Tumm | $170 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott Knuth | $373 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas M. McAvoy | $251 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas R. Lindgren | $736 | $0 | -100% |
| Travis John Bluem | $147 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,653,185 | $2,594,385 | -44.2% |
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