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In 2021, 164 farmers in cities within Manatee County received a total of $1.8 million in 235 farm subsidies, a 55.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4 million in 420 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 Manatee County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Tomato Growers, Ltd. | $1,725,512 | $513,542 | -70.2% |
| 4 Star Tomato, Inc. | $0 | $244,175 | -- |
| Mello & Sons Apiaries, Inc. | $312,096 | $181,548 | -41.8% |
| CC Landscaping Warehouse Plus, Inc. | $0 | $174,979 | -- |
| Orban's Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $74,389 | -- |
| H & H Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $60,325 | -- |
| Palmer Orchids, Inc. | $0 | $54,886 | -- |
| A & G Bees, Inc. | $107,529 | $53,722 | -50% |
| Pure Florida Apiary | $60,685 | $25,463 | -58% |
| Inseines Fish Harvest | $0 | $21,200 | -- |
| Charlotte A. Sullivan | $17,103 | $19,703 | 15.2% |
| Ruthndel Bar-J Farm, Inc. | $15,430 | $17,682 | 14.6% |
| Brian Hurst | $0 | $15,367 | -- |
| S & J Braden Farms, LLC | $53,451 | $14,362 | -73.1% |
| Karen K. Mawhorter | $8,455 | $14,065 | 66.4% |
| Rodney O. Nelson Irrev. Trust | $12,620 | $13,662 | 8.3% |
| Harllee Cattle Company, LLC | $48,818 | $13,560 | -72.2% |
| Two Docks Shellfish, LLC | $0 | $12,190 | -- |
| Lisa Mitchell Dasilva | $0 | $11,952 | -- |
| Gregory Farms, LLC | $34,085 | $9,948 | -70.8% |
| Benjamin F. Haynes | $9,835 | $9,835 | 0% |
| Mary E Knapp-Pasek | $8,943 | $8,943 | 0% |
| William T Deterding Trust | $9,073 | $8,083 | -10.9% |
| Augustine Family Living Trust | $8,053 | $8,053 | 0% |
| Jean A. Becker | $8,646 | $5,915 | -31.6% |
| Erma E. mc Guire | $8,136 | $5,833 | -28.3% |
| Stanley P/Margaret W Parris Rev TRST | $1,541 | $5,724 | 271.4% |
| Bruce Haines | $16,277 | $5,363 | -67.1% |
| Cole J. Landau | $6,410 | $5,362 | -16.3% |
| Southern Pine Tree Farm, Inc. | $0 | $5,322 | -- |
| Tactix Farms, LLC | $0 | $5,149 | -- |
| Lake Investment Company, LLC | $5,646 | $4,787 | -15.2% |
| Friesland, Inc. | $0 | $4,763 | -- |
| FSB Investment 1, LLC | $2,104 | $4,736 | 125.1% |
| Kathryn E. Martin | $8,897 | $4,686 | -47.3% |
| Roderick G. Williams | $0 | $4,137 | -- |
| Robert A. McCranie | $0 | $3,960 | -- |
| Eugenia Marco | $4,205 | $3,838 | -8.7% |
| Michael Grube | $11,447 | $3,741 | -67.3% |
| Robert Beekeeper, Inc. | $11,068 | $3,710 | -66.5% |
| VA-Mar-Kad, Inc. | $119 | $3,586 | 2,913.4% |
| John Halteman | $6,540 | $3,570 | -45.4% |
| Mary Ann Legler | $9,286 | $3,553 | -61.7% |
| Pamela R. Cuff | $120 | $3,504 | 2,820% |
| Normadon, LLC | $1,882 | $3,358 | 78.4% |
| Mary P Pragovich Declaration of Trust N/K/A Mary P. Kowalski | $3,340 | $3,340 | 0% |
| Riverbend Farms, Inc. | $13,078 | $3,280 | -74.9% |
| Laura M Bodger Revocable Living Trust | $4,419 | $3,257 | -26.3% |
| Kay L. Wieck | $3,103 | $3,103 | 0% |
| Evelyn L Noe-Evelyn L Noe Trust Agreement | $0 | $3,055 | -- |
| Elizabeth Boyd | $5,112 | $2,894 | -43.4% |
| Andrew Pristach | $2,454 | $2,723 | 11% |
| Michael Lohr | $0 | $2,666 | -- |
| Charles E. Robbins | $5,333 | $2,584 | -51.5% |
| Two Sisters Family, LLC | $8,059 | $2,433 | -69.8% |
| Dale Margritz | $1,805 | $2,406 | 33.3% |
| Stanley Eugene Denisar | $8,418 | $2,353 | -72% |
| Lee V. Moran | $14,099 | $2,271 | -83.9% |
| C & D Jarrard FM, Inc. | $2,270 | $2,270 | 0% |
| Ronald L. Sommers | $6,306 | $2,246 | -64.4% |
| D Luedke Family Limited Partnership | $7,563 | $2,039 | -73% |
| Richard Houser | $2,014 | $2,014 | 0% |
| Phillip A. Prosser | $7,256 | $1,986 | -72.6% |
| Deloris I. Trisch | $1,338 | $1,907 | 42.5% |
| Marcia Friesen | $0 | $1,889 | -- |
| William J. Wolf | $4,369 | $1,824 | -58.3% |
| Connie Fawcett | $2,362 | $1,801 | -23.8% |
| Robert E. Smith Jr. | $49 | $1,768 | 3,508.2% |
| John D. Brown | $0 | $1,705 | -- |
| Jody R. Craton | $2,514 | $1,674 | -33.4% |
| Stanley D & Judy L Flaming Rev Trust | $0 | $1,666 | -- |
| Sharon Doll | $1,377 | $1,648 | 19.7% |
| Cecilia T. Mills | $1,609 | $1,609 | 0% |
| Candice Delazzer | $3,100 | $1,590 | -48.7% |
| Betty Hughes-Restated Hughes Trust UTD 3/6/96 | $1,581 | $1,581 | 0% |
| Anderson Banks Ranch, LLC | $5,121 | $1,574 | -69.3% |
| Joan E Kramer Revocable Trust Agreement | $8,943 | $1,571 | -82.4% |
| Sandra Boyce | $3,931 | $1,542 | -60.8% |
| Mathew T. Wilson | $5,076 | $1,487 | -70.7% |
| Nathan Baker | $1,460 | $1,460 | 0% |
| Geo W. McKinney | $4,264 | $1,437 | -66.3% |
| Brian Jones | $6,325 | $1,436 | -77.3% |
| Benjamin J. Barth | $1,046 | $1,404 | 34.2% |
| James L Grant and Karen S Grant Rev Trustee | $0 | $1,380 | -- |
| Christine Farhood | $917 | $1,359 | 48.2% |
| Don Kirkpatrick | $1,327 | $1,327 | 0% |
| Garth R. Bryant | $5,643 | $1,322 | -76.6% |
| Sanford J. Atkinson | $3,768 | $1,304 | -65.4% |
| Kay Elizabeth Edgar | $0 | $1,283 | -- |
| Kay Senteney Rev Living Trust | $1,272 | $1,272 | 0% |
| Rossetter Leavitt | $3,172 | $1,214 | -61.7% |
| Pamela Rigsby | $206 | $1,202 | 483.5% |
| Patricia A. Watkins | $1,180 | $1,180 | 0% |
| Suzanne Streich-Pearson | $1,157 | $1,157 | 0% |
| Timm Kaeb | $0 | $1,139 | -- |
| Steven R Grant & Nancy a Grant Rev Living Trust | $0 | $1,057 | -- |
| Barbara J. Jons | $1,043 | $1,043 | 0% |
| Richard J. Caulfield | $1,663 | $1,012 | -39.1% |
| Barbara S Ellfeldt Revocable Trust | $1,073 | $989 | -7.8% |
| Ira 7230011478 Entrust FBO Lora Ann Kelly | $2,026 | $964 | -52.4% |
| Kim Lance Hanes | $1,188 | $876 | -26.3% |
| A Raymond Ruffatti | $2,849 | $857 | -69.9% |
| Beth Ann Rowan Family Trust | $4,743 | $851 | -82.1% |
| Gary Senteney | $2,053 | $846 | -58.8% |
| Charles Buddy Keene II | $0 | $840 | -- |
| Richard J. Musgrave | $404 | $838 | 107.4% |
| Vollmar Farm, LLC | $2,228 | $824 | -63% |
| William G. Bergschneider | $6,997 | $795 | -88.6% |
| Earl Van Dorn Catoe III | $743 | $743 | 0% |
| Judith E Tuhy-Judith E Tuhy Trust | $4,914 | $737 | -85% |
| Madonna K. Sullivan | $3,054 | $737 | -75.9% |
| Barbara R. Despres | $1,837 | $718 | -60.9% |
| Donna Kaye Bruner | $1,190 | $695 | -41.6% |
| Sandra Kinion | $1,436 | $683 | -52.4% |
| Terri E. White | $1,669 | $623 | -62.7% |
| Carol Teiss Stacy | $1,770 | $618 | -65.1% |
| Taake Joint Revocable Living Trust | $1,662 | $603 | -63.7% |
| Collin C. Schmidt | $0 | $585 | -- |
| Leonard L. Banks Jr. | $1,833 | $566 | -69.1% |
| Carl and Margery Miller Revocable Trust | $563 | $563 | 0% |
| Gary W Keller Family Trust | $0 | $552 | -- |
| Phyllis E. Henry | $2,373 | $519 | -78.1% |
| Rita-Rita Mitchell 2013 Rev Trust Mitchell | $888 | $503 | -43.4% |
| Benjamin J Barth Estate | $1,196 | $499 | -58.3% |
| Janell L. Smith | $1,167 | $472 | -59.6% |
| David C. Betts Jr. | $0 | $426 | -- |
| Bettie Chlebina | $315 | $420 | 33.3% |
| Lois T. Stratos | $778 | $403 | -48.2% |
| Craig Family Farms, LLC | $2,638 | $400 | -84.8% |
| Mr. Pedro Mello | $1,622 | $394 | -75.7% |
| May E Jackson - the Jackson Family Trust | $0 | $392 | -- |
| Rita J Ester Revocable Trust | $329 | $371 | 12.8% |
| George W. Briscoe | $804 | $311 | -61.3% |
| Michael P. Jenson | $1,540 | $288 | -81.3% |
| Regina C. Rickert | $261 | $261 | 0% |
| Stuff Manor Farms, LLC | $533 | $259 | -51.4% |
| Sharon S. Smith Revocable Trust | $529 | $256 | -51.6% |
| James E. Harman | $552 | $254 | -54% |
| Bradley McGinnis | $0 | $251 | -- |
| Denise M. Rardin | $1,098 | $249 | -77.3% |
| Nancy Wilson Elder | $0 | $246 | -- |
| Elizabeth Harlan Archer | $1,220 | $210 | -82.8% |
| Anna M Clark Trust | $383 | $207 | -46% |
| Larry J. Emge | $606 | $192 | -68.3% |
| David A. Boyle | $703 | $191 | -72.8% |
| David A. Boyle | $703 | $191 | -72.8% |
| Gwen E. Mitchell | $261 | $190 | -27.2% |
| Sally Archibald | $561 | $190 | -66.1% |
| Riggins Family Living Trust | $688 | $182 | -73.5% |
| John Justice | $153 | $153 | 0% |
| Nikke M Shilling | $292 | $131 | -55.1% |
| Donnia W Smith | $150 | $128 | -14.7% |
| Carol Miller | $301 | $111 | -63.1% |
| Walter G Mills Family Partnership, LLLP | $109 | $109 | 0% |
| Robert K. Thompson | $374 | $95 | -74.6% |
| Gordon C Tolodziecki | $206 | $89 | -56.8% |
| Vickie Moss | $243 | $87 | -64.2% |
| Belisa Mazzara | $0 | $80 | -- |
| Clayton E. Taylor Jr. | $10 | $69 | 590% |
| Robert E. Baskett | $85 | $48 | -43.5% |
| Latimer Leavitt | $127 | $47 | -63% |
| Charles L. Chambers | $45 | $22 | -51.1% |
| Vicki Hopkins | $45 | $22 | -51.1% |
| David Spitnale | $472 | $21 | -95.6% |
| Aquasafra, Inc. | $55,846 | $0 | -100% |
| Bayside Sod, Inc. | $5,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl Maynard | $281 | $0 | -100% |
| Clara Walker | $76 | $0 | -100% |
| David Ryan West | $2,030 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Ester Revocable Trust | $42 | $0 | -100% |
| Evelyn L Noe-Evelyn L Noe Trust a | $6,384 | $0 | -100% |
| Floyd V. Burton | $7,489 | $0 | -100% |
| Glory Farms, LLC | $62 | $0 | -100% |
| Grainger Farms, Inc. | $40,992 | $0 | -100% |
| Grainger Farms, LLC | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Jane Thompson | $127 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph A. Kelly | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| King R. Traub Jr. | $180 | $0 | -100% |
| Maf Farms, LLC | $821 | $0 | -100% |
| Mariposa Nursey, Inc. | $178,573 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Lavallee | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Mindi Mulholland | $5,621 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca Belis | $271 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald F. Pierce | $14,024 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley D & Judy L Flaming Rev Trustee | $2,003 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley P/Margaret W Parris Rev T | $4,183 | $0 | -100% |
| Suncoast Nursery SNR, LLC | $101,629 | $0 | -100% |
| Walsh & Meissner, Inc. | $12,013 | $0 | -100% |
| Gulf Stream Boats, Inc. | $164,338 | $0 | -100% |
| T. P. Reynolds Fisheries, LLC | $43,530 | $0 | -100% |
| Agreement Number 18507 DTD July 28 2000 Trustee | $1,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Hugh E Townsend Irrevocable Trust | $4,388 | $0 | -100% |
| Annabelle Lee Seymour | $9 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward E. Goris | $2,036 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary J Montin | $2,783 | $0 | -100% |
| James L Grant and Karen S Grant R | $1,380 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe Island Clams, LLC | $13,398 | $0 | -100% |
| Make It Happen Ranch, Inc. | $3,787 | $0 | -100% |
| May E Jackson - the Jackson Famil | $496 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy Celmer | $47 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley Benthal Holland | $150 | $0 | -100% |
| South Florida Tomato Growers, Inc. | $82,998 | $0 | -100% |
| Southwest Florida Apiaries | $5,922 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven R Grant & Nancy a Grant Re | $1,057 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,040,502 | $1,801,017 | -55.4% |
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