Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 111 farmers in cities within Leelanau County received a total of $2.6 million in 187 farm subsidies, a 12.5% increase from 2020, when the total was $2.3 million in 226 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Bay Orchards, Inc. | $442,384 | $342,798 | -22.5% |
| Stoney Point Orchards, Inc. | $39,386 | $183,860 | 366.8% |
| Glenn F. Lacross | $18,663 | $150,844 | 708.3% |
| Von Holt Farms | $51,957 | $149,201 | 187.2% |
| Cherry Home Orchards, LLC | $38,654 | $128,787 | 233.2% |
| Sleeping Bear Orchards, LLC | $16,899 | $108,327 | 541% |
| Rhoadside Acres, Inc. | $15,757 | $106,766 | 577.6% |
| James Eckerle | $34,923 | $104,333 | 198.8% |
| Stanton Family Orchards, LLC | $9,655 | $89,674 | 828.8% |
| Jonathan Richter | $26,161 | $87,860 | 235.8% |
| Cathead Farms | $19,790 | $77,696 | 292.6% |
| Greg Williams | $0 | $72,954 | -- |
| Gregory Brothers Farms, LLC | $102,037 | $70,571 | -30.8% |
| Carlson Farms | $23,844 | $66,962 | 180.8% |
| Egeler's Red Acres, LLC | $15,849 | $50,518 | 218.7% |
| Stone Wall Farms, LLC | $4,154 | $42,151 | 914.7% |
| Victor Chimoski | $20,379 | $39,750 | 95.1% |
| John H. Schlueter | $7,354 | $37,522 | 410.2% |
| Frammi Enterprises, Inc. | $0 | $37,252 | -- |
| Donald R. Carlson | $16,418 | $36,832 | 124.3% |
| Buckhorn Orchards, LLC | $0 | $33,824 | -- |
| Hallstedt Homestead, LLC | $32,452 | $31,328 | -3.5% |
| Shady Lane Partners, LLC | $0 | $26,158 | -- |
| Hop Daddy, LLC | $90,119 | $25,681 | -71.5% |
| S P Grossnickle, LLC | $6,997 | $25,227 | 260.5% |
| SVF, Inc. | $63,090 | $25,020 | -60.3% |
| Garthe Farms, LLC | $31,425 | $23,228 | -26.1% |
| D & D Noonan Farms, LLC | $29,948 | $22,773 | -24% |
| Bakker's Acres, LLC | $30,038 | $22,631 | -24.7% |
| Jeff Send | $12,023 | $20,028 | 66.6% |
| Joseph Flaska | $7,420 | $18,854 | 154.1% |
| Cherry Beach Orchards, LLC | $10,471 | $16,295 | 55.6% |
| Fredrickson Farm | $35,025 | $16,011 | -54.3% |
| Keith E Parker Trustee Uad 7-16-2007 | $39,112 | $15,653 | -60% |
| Crane Hill Vineyards, LLC | $0 | $14,858 | -- |
| Gallaghers Vineyard and Winery, Corp. | $0 | $13,867 | -- |
| Kiessel Farms, LLC | $31,614 | $12,509 | -60.4% |
| Noonan & Sons, LLC | $30,577 | $12,261 | -59.9% |
| Wencil T Korson | $3,468 | $11,254 | 224.5% |
| Wencil T Korson | $3,468 | $11,254 | 224.5% |
| Williams Orchards | $69,362 | $10,799 | -84.4% |
| Kolarik Brothers Farm | $46,772 | $10,787 | -76.9% |
| R&R Flores Farms | $16,539 | $9,443 | -42.9% |
| Mcmanus Operations, LLC | $10,684 | $9,383 | -12.2% |
| Todd Johnson | $0 | $8,641 | -- |
| Thomas Shimek | $25,194 | $8,368 | -66.8% |
| Gregory MacDonald | $8,123 | $8,123 | 0% |
| Robert & Mildred Cooper Trust | $7,750 | $7,750 | 0% |
| Christopher J Kolarik | $0 | $7,558 | -- |
| Richard Popp | $3,839 | $7,316 | 90.6% |
| Ryan Noonan | $22,260 | $7,166 | -67.8% |
| Jelinek Orchards, LLC | $30,627 | $6,322 | -79.4% |
| Alpers Farms, LLC | $19,817 | $5,974 | -69.9% |
| Blaise Korson | $34,146 | $5,361 | -84.3% |
| Schaub Dairy Farms, Inc. | $10,248 | $5,056 | -50.7% |
| Vilter Family, LLC | $17,230 | $4,891 | -71.6% |
| Clarence Stachnik Jr. | $8,544 | $4,086 | -52.2% |
| Raftshol Vineyards, Inc. | $0 | $3,837 | -- |
| Penny Kolarik | $587 | $3,731 | 535.6% |
| Popp Farm | $5,165 | $3,398 | -34.2% |
| Duane Bardenhagen | $5,419 | $3,091 | -43% |
| Barbara W Vilter | $13,659 | $3,048 | -77.7% |
| David Claerhout | $3,010 | $3,010 | 0% |
| Wesley Parker - Wesley H Parker Trust | $3,500 | $2,611 | -25.4% |
| James Bardenhagen | $15,554 | $2,562 | -83.5% |
| Denis L. Garvin | $4,674 | $2,550 | -45.4% |
| Tim Westbay | $3,119 | $2,423 | -22.3% |
| Olsen Farms, LLC | $9,770 | $2,394 | -75.5% |
| Steve Christensen | $10,532 | $2,240 | -78.7% |
| Shimek's Maple Ridge Orchard, Inc. | $3,358 | $2,160 | -35.7% |
| Christopher Kolarik | $9,880 | $2,148 | -78.3% |
| Judith L. Guinan | $4,371 | $2,019 | -53.8% |
| Kabat Farms | $974 | $1,964 | 101.6% |
| Myron Anderson | $3,215 | $1,920 | -40.3% |
| O L Bahle Farms, Inc. | $0 | $1,811 | -- |
| Jerry Kelenske | $4,705 | $1,800 | -61.7% |
| Dale Fritz | $1,481 | $1,746 | 17.9% |
| Steven G. Taber | $1,233 | $1,517 | 23% |
| Alan P. Ehler | $846 | $1,483 | 75.3% |
| Mark Zientek | $4,119 | $1,444 | -64.9% |
| Gregory A. Schaub | $9,312 | $1,351 | -85.5% |
| James C. Lautner | $2,783 | $1,329 | -52.2% |
| Connie G Rumbach | $1,984 | $1,279 | -35.5% |
| Connie Sue Sullivan | $1,228 | $1,228 | 0% |
| Randolph Weber | $1,056 | $1,167 | 10.5% |
| Charlie Leiby | $3,331 | $1,048 | -68.5% |
| Michael A. McManus | $7,127 | $1,027 | -85.6% |
| Allen and Associates, Inc. | $1,000 | $1,000 | 0% |
| Janet Roth | $7,657 | $1,000 | -86.9% |
| Richard Deering Jr. | $0 | $899 | -- |
| Brian Verschaeve | $1,670 | $878 | -47.4% |
| LA Casa Verde Produce, LLC | $5,692 | $856 | -85% |
| Donna Kalchik | $669 | $810 | 21.1% |
| Thomas Eckerle | $637 | $799 | 25.4% |
| Heartwood Forest Farm, LLC | $422 | $520 | 23.2% |
| John Eggert | $800 | $520 | -35% |
| Steimel Brothers Farm | $5,945 | $519 | -91.3% |
| Second Spring Farm, LLC | $58,088 | $500 | -99.1% |
| Meadowlark Farm, LLC | $25,186 | $500 | -98% |
| Linda Grigg | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Phyllis Korson | $465 | $474 | 1.9% |
| Julius Kolarik Jr. | $3,254 | $471 | -85.5% |
| Bioconcentric Farms, Inc. | $162 | $451 | 178.4% |
| Gary Thornton | $4,870 | $364 | -92.5% |
| Phyllis a Dunklow | $660 | $327 | -50.5% |
| Donald Bugai | $231 | $189 | -18.2% |
| Robert C. Webb | $0 | $119 | -- |
| Scott Collins | $363 | $101 | -72.2% |
| Nancy J. Lanham | $26 | $30 | 15.4% |
| Tom Lanham | $26 | $30 | 15.4% |
| Overlook Orchards, LLC | $135,654 | $12 | -100% |
| H O Rosendale Heritage Farm, LLC | $1,328 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph A. Fabiszak | $2,281 | $0 | -100% |
| Michelle R. Verville | $2,527 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond Kuhn | $1,007 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Eitzen | $9,571 | $0 | -100% |
| Babb Enterprises, Inc. | $701 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy John Recker | $9,529 | $0 | -100% |
| Vaughn Dietzel | $2,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Bardenhagen Berries | $8,957 | $0 | -100% |
| Chateau Fontaine | $4,492 | $0 | -100% |
| Dorothy MacDonald | $28 | $0 | -100% |
| Grant Farms | $13,482 | $0 | -100% |
| Harbor Hill Fruit Farms, Inc. | $36,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Schaub | $2,014 | $0 | -100% |
| Pasch Orchards, LLC | $7,740 | $0 | -100% |
| Randy Winowiecki | $160 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas G. Rorabaugh | $82 | $0 | -100% |
| Wind Whistle Farm, LLC | $13,881 | $0 | -100% |
| Boathouse Vineyards, LLC | $620 | $0 | -100% |
| HT Vineyards, LLC | $15,843 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Miller | $22,160 | $0 | -100% |
| Courtney Thomas Wengreen | $1,516 | $0 | -100% |
| Leelanau Peninsula Maple Sugar Bush, LLC | $1,467 | $0 | -100% |
| Little Pond Farms, LLC | $5,566 | $0 | -100% |
| Norman Morgan | $10,588 | $0 | -100% |
| Weaver Family Limited Partnership | $1,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Ciccone Vineyards & Winery, LLC | $4,365 | $0 | -100% |
| Effie A. Anderson | $4,860 | $0 | -100% |
| Jerome J. Kolarik | $4,642 | $0 | -100% |
| Sunblossom Orchards, LLC | $13,393 | $0 | -100% |
| Welty Farms, LLC | $12,267 | $0 | -100% |
| Whitt Company, LLC | $1,204 | $0 | -100% |
| William Vanwesten | $90 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,298,738 | $2,585,601 | 12.5% |
Alerts Sign-up