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In 2021, 154 farmers in cities within Beaverhead County received a total of $3.9 million in 287 farm subsidies, a 67.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $11.8 million in 417 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 Beaverhead County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mccoy Cattle, LLC | $466,176 | $207,668 | -55.5% |
| Malesich Ranch Company | $289,828 | $203,402 | -29.8% |
| Centennial Livestock | $353,507 | $198,492 | -43.9% |
| Holland Ranch | $280,885 | $178,017 | -36.6% |
| Dwight Harrison J. Ranch | $147,042 | $141,471 | -3.8% |
| Rebish & Konen Livestock | $162,573 | $136,183 | -16.2% |
| Bar C, Inc. | $430,781 | $125,790 | -70.8% |
| Stoddard Cattle Company | $270,096 | $98,009 | -63.7% |
| Dick Hirschy Cattle, Inc. | $457,986 | $91,988 | -79.9% |
| Buhler Land & Cattle Company, Inc. | $100,644 | $90,526 | -10.1% |
| David E. Schuett | $210,312 | $87,366 | -58.5% |
| Shelli R. Schuett | $209,199 | $86,915 | -58.5% |
| Draggin Y Cattle Company, Inc. | $902,435 | $82,840 | -90.8% |
| Roger D. Peters | $2,306 | $81,557 | 3,436.7% |
| Calvin Erb | $412,613 | $78,618 | -80.9% |
| Raffety Cattle Company | $88,073 | $75,608 | -14.2% |
| Arcadia Agent, LLC | $1,358,649 | $75,375 | -94.5% |
| Carrie Peters | $0 | $73,648 | -- |
| Hansen Livestock | $247,072 | $71,847 | -70.9% |
| Stoddard Equipment, LLC | $115,157 | $69,588 | -39.6% |
| M Bar Y Land & Cattle, LLC | $107,852 | $63,390 | -41.2% |
| B C Ventures, LLC | $259,280 | $60,227 | -76.8% |
| Ralph Huntley & Son, Inc. | $326,956 | $50,778 | -84.5% |
| Donald E. Johnson | $121,901 | $49,559 | -59.3% |
| Bryan Mussard | $124,291 | $48,978 | -60.6% |
| Duffner Ranches | $0 | $47,643 | -- |
| Kyle Mark Tash | $56,977 | $47,058 | -17.4% |
| Bryant Jones | $0 | $44,194 | -- |
| Forty Bar Ranch, Inc. | $183,207 | $41,633 | -77.3% |
| Cottom Farms, Inc. | $85,014 | $40,887 | -51.9% |
| Beaverhead Livestock Auction, LLC | $174,341 | $40,330 | -76.9% |
| Blacktail Livestock, Inc. | $125,392 | $38,912 | -69% |
| WCC Truck Repair, LLC | $52,464 | $38,596 | -26.4% |
| Hagenbarth Land Montana LP | $0 | $35,821 | -- |
| Cottom and Sons | $88,293 | $35,619 | -59.7% |
| W. R. Cleverley | $43,091 | $34,394 | -20.2% |
| Cottonwood Cattle Ranch, Inc. | $34,603 | $30,471 | -11.9% |
| Laknar Grazing, LLC | $37,482 | $29,907 | -20.2% |
| RGB Farms, LLC | $24,550 | $27,915 | 13.7% |
| Dallaserra Ranches | $55,459 | $24,195 | -56.4% |
| Hildreth Livestock Company, Inc. | $20,009 | $24,098 | 20.4% |
| Arthur Olivier | $56,053 | $24,073 | -57.1% |
| Beaverhead 7 Up Ranch | $87,361 | $22,518 | -74.2% |
| Helle Livestock | $421,042 | $22,224 | -94.7% |
| Priebe Partners, LLC | $87,796 | $21,581 | -75.4% |
| Grandview Ranch | $23,535 | $21,454 | -8.8% |
| Cottom Seed, Inc. | $697,096 | $20,423 | -97.1% |
| T&L Holland Livestock, Inc. | $57,732 | $19,746 | -65.8% |
| Sitz Land and Cattle, LLC | $135,504 | $19,057 | -85.9% |
| Stocker Ranch, LLC | $17,314 | $18,893 | 9.1% |
| Sunnyslope Land & Cattle Company | $0 | $18,882 | -- |
| Horse Prairie Livestock | $0 | $18,378 | -- |
| M&S Farms, LLC | $59,016 | $17,957 | -69.6% |
| Jerry Meine | $20,053 | $17,095 | -14.8% |
| Jules Marchesseault Ranch, Inc. | $28,193 | $16,360 | -42% |
| James O. Weiss | $67,771 | $15,966 | -76.4% |
| Silas A. Smith | $44,847 | $15,665 | -65.1% |
| Harold Brown | $36,373 | $15,210 | -58.2% |
| Hren Ranches, Inc. | $18,423 | $15,025 | -18.4% |
| Barrett Ranch, Inc. | $24,662 | $14,498 | -41.2% |
| Wisdom River Cattle Company | $46,086 | $13,743 | -70.2% |
| Dannielle J. McCoy | $0 | $12,896 | -- |
| Andrew C. Johnson | $6,556 | $12,631 | 92.7% |
| Barry D. McCoy | $0 | $12,542 | -- |
| HRL, Inc. | $11,976 | $12,112 | 1.1% |
| Schuett Partnership | $20,101 | $12,076 | -39.9% |
| Andrew R. Johnson | $22,811 | $12,022 | -47.3% |
| Gerald Jones | $23,405 | $11,464 | -51% |
| Hayhook Livestock, LLC | $14,690 | $11,115 | -24.3% |
| Kenneth Walton Peterson Estate | $0 | $11,082 | -- |
| Jason Ward | $13,095 | $10,204 | -22.1% |
| Rebich & Sons LVSTK | $59,382 | $9,590 | -83.9% |
| Probst Ranch, LLC | $26,691 | $9,551 | -64.2% |
| Debra M. Melle | $18,078 | $9,221 | -49% |
| Daniel Mattison | $44,922 | $9,164 | -79.6% |
| Diamond Bar J Ranch, Inc. | $1,760 | $8,936 | 407.7% |
| Thomas Paffhausen | $9,338 | $8,603 | -7.9% |
| Willow Basin Ranch, LLC | $44,536 | $8,172 | -81.7% |
| Dan Coon | $40,345 | $8,098 | -79.9% |
| Alan C. Conover | $6,553 | $7,456 | 13.8% |
| Taylor Payton Mussard | $29,029 | $7,088 | -75.6% |
| Ben V. Pauley Jr. | $45,284 | $6,829 | -84.9% |
| Davis Cattle Company, Inc. | $8,047 | $6,560 | -18.5% |
| Lazy JP Ranch, LLC | $0 | $6,235 | -- |
| Thomas C. Mitchell | $24,145 | $5,958 | -75.3% |
| Judy Tash | $20,515 | $5,865 | -71.4% |
| Conover Ranch, LLC | $6,977 | $5,805 | -16.8% |
| Wesley W. Miner | $4,895 | $5,693 | 16.3% |
| Billiette S Brooks | $24,987 | $5,515 | -77.9% |
| Ken Visser | $4,125 | $5,484 | 32.9% |
| Stone Creek Ranches, Inc. | $62,988 | $5,395 | -91.4% |
| John L. Lewis | $0 | $5,359 | -- |
| Mr. Alan Blaine Jenne | $0 | $5,298 | -- |
| Chris J. Davis | $36,494 | $5,140 | -85.9% |
| Box S, LLC | $0 | $5,121 | -- |
| Charles G. Harvey | $0 | $4,753 | -- |
| Hidden View Ranch, LLC | $4,085 | $4,609 | 12.8% |
| J and G Cattle Company, Inc. | $26,341 | $4,604 | -82.5% |
| Finch Ranches, LLC | $19,833 | $4,210 | -78.8% |
| Gary Gerth | $3,834 | $3,889 | 1.4% |
| Helen M. Wellborn | $19,975 | $3,864 | -80.7% |
| Jesse Peterson | $6,979 | $3,693 | -47.1% |
| Thomas H. Mitchell | $16,797 | $3,636 | -78.4% |
| Randall a Tommerup | $0 | $3,378 | -- |
| D Lazy J Cattle, LLC | $18,548 | $3,307 | -82.2% |
| D Thomas Tamcke | $14,289 | $3,246 | -77.3% |
| D & G Partnership | $2,499 | $2,932 | 17.3% |
| Hogbak Farms, Inc. | $4,401 | $2,867 | -34.9% |
| Brian Demars | $13,684 | $2,818 | -79.4% |
| Layne Crafton | $15,529 | $2,684 | -82.7% |
| E Bar Enterprises, LLC | $13,401 | $2,616 | -80.5% |
| Ted Crampton | $15,169 | $2,494 | -83.6% |
| John R. Ward | $12,466 | $2,424 | -80.6% |
| Dan L. Hill | $11,907 | $2,372 | -80.1% |
| Leslie a Staudenmeyer | $15,987 | $2,230 | -86.1% |
| Earl L. Conklin Jr. | $1,265 | $1,941 | 53.4% |
| Luke Peters | $9,113 | $1,817 | -80.1% |
| Pearl Spring Livestock | $9,923 | $1,665 | -83.2% |
| John Lesnik | $0 | $1,556 | -- |
| Raymond P. Fliehman | $10,536 | $1,494 | -85.8% |
| Steve F. Hirschy | $0 | $1,433 | -- |
| Theodore J. Ori | $1,128 | $1,318 | 16.8% |
| Diamond D Cattle, LLC | $6,413 | $1,304 | -79.7% |
| Iola V. Else | $5,610 | $1,142 | -79.6% |
| Frank Snellman | $4,763 | $1,002 | -79% |
| Louise Peters | $10,470 | $995 | -90.5% |
| Diamond Double T, LLC | $0 | $979 | -- |
| Gail Kuntz | $1,364 | $889 | -34.8% |
| Kathleen E. Broere | $0 | $859 | -- |
| Ross W. Broere | $0 | $859 | -- |
| Brandon Malesich | $6,125 | $770 | -87.4% |
| Rudy Pauley | $6,160 | $704 | -88.6% |
| Roy McQuiston | $3,234 | $648 | -80% |
| Alenjandro Andrade | $2,200 | $638 | -71% |
| Tyler Tintzman | $3,127 | $582 | -81.4% |
| Mike Pettit | $3,025 | $559 | -81.5% |
| Dustin Hirschy | $2,618 | $523 | -80% |
| Osburn Cattle, LLC | $4,472 | $512 | -88.6% |
| Thomas M. Paffhausen | $2,640 | $512 | -80.6% |
| Kim Hirschy | $1,804 | $508 | -71.8% |
| Carmen Duck | $2,398 | $502 | -79.1% |
| Cody Setzer | $0 | $502 | -- |
| Craig Taylor | $671 | $448 | -33.2% |
| Karen Peters-Vanessen | $4,118 | $412 | -90% |
| Josh Taylor | $1,793 | $391 | -78.2% |
| Tom W. Helle | $5,238 | $364 | -93.1% |
| Nicholia Creek Land & Cattle, LLC | $1,716 | $359 | -79.1% |
| James M. Dry | $202 | $331 | 63.9% |
| Rick Kuntz | $1,298 | $270 | -79.2% |
| Brandy L. Hirschy | $1,804 | $222 | -87.7% |
| Eva Mastandrea | $352 | $186 | -47.2% |
| Jtwo Bridges | $726 | $146 | -79.9% |
| Ruth A. Johnson | $272 | $145 | -46.7% |
| Richard O. Nordquist | $108 | $143 | 32.4% |
| Alan B. Jenne | $7,658 | $0 | -100% |
| Blake Nuffer | $43,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Olivier | $3,685 | $0 | -100% |
| Catherine a Kajin | $4,510 | $0 | -100% |
| Cheryl Marchesseault | $189 | $0 | -100% |
| Claris D Yuhas | $1,431 | $0 | -100% |
| Cody Setzer | $1,353 | $0 | -100% |
| Corinne K. Welborn | $804 | $0 | -100% |
| Deborah Keller | $1,243 | $0 | -100% |
| Donna Waylett | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Emily Reynolds | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Ethan Landis | $7,667 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $173,831 | $0 | -100% |
| Harris H. Wheat | $3,607 | $0 | -100% |
| Janet L. Cunningham | $252 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey J. Ford | $700 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer McKay | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Jill Anderson | $1,925 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Paddock | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebish & Helle Partnership | $38,873 | $0 | -100% |
| Sage Bluff Ranch, LLC | $2,964 | $0 | -100% |
| W & K Ranch Corporation | $1,672 | $0 | -100% |
| Robin Johnson | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Wes Miner | $6,052 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrell Weaver | $1,925 | $0 | -100% |
| Dennis Kirkpatrick | $22,546 | $0 | -100% |
| Geraldine Gael Weaver | $6,050 | $0 | -100% |
| Mikal Reese | $1,925 | $0 | -100% |
| Peterson Bros Cattle Company | $88,660 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray Weaver | $15,180 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $11,781,075 | $3,858,797 | -67.2% |
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