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In 2021, 80 farmers in cities within Fairbanks North Star Borough received a total of $3.7 million in 119 farm subsidies, a 22.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4.8 million in 178 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Alaska | $4,060,619 | $3,226,169 | -20.5% |
| Vernon Crane | $0 | $61,100 | -- |
| Mark Fairchild Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Michael Hernandez | $0 | $29,489 | -- |
| Rev Thomas P Kuffel | $27,600 | $27,600 | 0% |
| Daniel Kimmel | $0 | $25,383 | -- |
| Carol L. Kincaid | $23,242 | $24,995 | 7.5% |
| Diane Christiansen | $22,989 | $22,989 | 0% |
| Boreal Peonies, LLC | $247 | $15,769 | 6,284.2% |
| Frank Thomas Shawcroft | $0 | $13,984 | -- |
| Matt Thomas Shawcroft | $0 | $13,961 | -- |
| Macarlo M Christensen JR | $0 | $13,660 | -- |
| Joyce Wallbaum | $12,190 | $12,190 | 0% |
| Daniel H. Hess | $6,778 | $11,847 | 74.8% |
| Plant Kingdom Greenhouse and Nursery, the, Inc. | $54,739 | $11,178 | -79.6% |
| Thelma Hess | $4,924 | $8,996 | 82.7% |
| Sandra Mattie | $7,916 | $6,927 | -12.5% |
| Timothy S. M. Christensen | $0 | $6,700 | -- |
| Stevens Village Ira Council | $7,271 | $6,508 | -10.5% |
| Linda Dolney | $24,800 | $6,400 | -74.2% |
| Risse Greenhouse, LLC | $59,967 | $6,400 | -89.3% |
| Hawks Farm & Garden Center, Inc. | $36,708 | $6,400 | -82.6% |
| Margaret B. Hallam | $3,406 | $5,700 | 67.4% |
| Kleven Farms | $8,008 | $5,595 | -30.1% |
| Allan G. Stockbridge | $1,425 | $5,340 | 274.7% |
| Charles David Gerrish | $5,211 | $5,211 | 0% |
| Stephen J. Gerrish | $5,211 | $5,211 | 0% |
| Paul Albert Pederson | $3,630 | $5,086 | 40.1% |
| Fritz Justin Kuykendall | $5,006 | $4,959 | -0.9% |
| Troy L. Cambier | $5,457 | $4,554 | -16.5% |
| Kyle H. Holladay | $4,507 | $4,395 | -2.5% |
| Whetzel Farm Trust | $5,342 | $4,357 | -18.4% |
| Esther Louise Hill | $0 | $4,008 | -- |
| Goosefoot Farm, LLC | $0 | $3,558 | -- |
| Marty Laudert | $3,553 | $3,552 | -0% |
| Bone-Dry Firewood, LLC | $0 | $3,102 | -- |
| Andrew James Wappett | $0 | $3,079 | -- |
| Kathleen R. Miller | $976 | $2,899 | 197% |
| Stephen Rice | $192 | $2,561 | 1,233.9% |
| Hazel E. Daro | $2,649 | $2,297 | -13.3% |
| Vonna K. Husby | $4,587 | $2,189 | -52.3% |
| Laurence C. Dunn | $4,911 | $2,136 | -56.5% |
| Richard Henderson Trust-Richard Henderson | $4,424 | $2,132 | -51.8% |
| Brent Levalley | $5,824 | $2,074 | -64.4% |
| Rohn D. Abbott | $8,833 | $1,995 | -77.4% |
| R Scott Sommerdorf | $6,395 | $1,864 | -70.9% |
| Helen R Etter Trust | $0 | $1,860 | -- |
| Todd R. Elsberry | $32,321 | $1,565 | -95.2% |
| Nathan N. Miller | $1,662 | $1,557 | -6.3% |
| Howard C. Sparks | $1,477 | $1,477 | 0% |
| Robert A. Sparks | $1,477 | $1,477 | 0% |
| Charles E Schaefer 2010 Trust | $3,270 | $1,436 | -56.1% |
| Don I. Gray | $0 | $1,345 | -- |
| W. D. Hibler III | $6,020 | $1,194 | -80.2% |
| Shannon Brady | $2,111 | $1,162 | -45% |
| Happy Creek, LLC | $0 | $1,018 | -- |
| George A. Aguiar | $783 | $1,017 | 29.9% |
| John B. Wentz | $3,124 | $969 | -69% |
| Samuel Philip Knapp | $0 | $967 | -- |
| Baer Conservative, LLC | $3,821 | $872 | -77.2% |
| Kenton Severns | $1,120 | $744 | -33.6% |
| F. M. Russell | $2,062 | $702 | -66% |
| Eldon J Brunner IRRV Trust | $700 | $700 | 0% |
| Slimtree Farm, LLC | $218 | $680 | 211.9% |
| Alaska Morning Star Peonies, LLC | $904 | $657 | -27.3% |
| Stephanie G Siemoneit | $635 | $635 | 0% |
| Roxanne Ertel | $549 | $549 | 0% |
| Mary Clancy | $350 | $350 | 0% |
| Nicholas C Van Elsacker | $0 | $347 | -- |
| Theodore S. Wingerter | $271 | $271 | 0% |
| Timothy J. Wingerter | $271 | $271 | 0% |
| Margaret Waite | $87 | $240 | 175.9% |
| John Miller | $290 | $205 | -29.3% |
| Karen J. Jacklin | $1,165 | $193 | -83.4% |
| Thomas D. Simpson | $184 | $188 | 2.2% |
| Elaine Eads | $394 | $170 | -56.9% |
| Tim Teslow | $170 | $170 | 0% |
| Clinton Lee Hansen | $930 | $166 | -82.2% |
| Anthony J. Karl | $417 | $123 | -70.5% |
| Ronald D. Illingworth | $3,007 | $55 | -98.2% |
| Ardene Ver Hoef Rev Living Trust | $1,313 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara Meggitt | $9,414 | $0 | -100% |
| Caleb Nichols | $13,364 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Meggitt | $2,539 | $0 | -100% |
| Dallas M. Hornback | $5,501 | $0 | -100% |
| D/B/A Alaska Coffee Roasting Company | $456 | $0 | -100% |
| Diana Patterson | $1,862 | $0 | -100% |
| Felicia Musick | $311 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary L. Sawdy | $3,300 | $0 | -100% |
| James C. Dunlap | $12,759 | $0 | -100% |
| James Scott Wheeler | $12,654 | $0 | -100% |
| Peter W. Balch | $26,665 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca Dean | $1,659 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Weinberg | $45,600 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth Faris Drew | $828 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth Faris Drew Irrevocable Trust | $424 | $0 | -100% |
| Spinach Creek Farm, LLC | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Transalaska Properties | $85,490 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig Kyle Chythlook | $20,690 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale W. Whittingham | $18,400 | $0 | -100% |
| Dart Am, LLC | $9,467 | $0 | -100% |
| Rolf O. Ness | $3,908 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,786,261 | $3,724,706 | -22.2% |
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