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In 2021, 144 farmers in cities within Oglala Lakota County received a total of $4.7 million in 360 farm subsidies, a 17.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.7 million in 487 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Indian Affairs | $698,680 | $1,231,601 | 76.3% |
| Todd O'Bryan | $66,297 | $607,110 | 815.7% |
| Wade O'Bryan | $97,427 | $207,430 | 112.9% |
| Stanley W. Brewer Jr. | $51,787 | $199,662 | 285.5% |
| Rex Nelson | $227,632 | $174,858 | -23.2% |
| Jonathan Sauser | $154,862 | $113,415 | -26.8% |
| Travis W. Goings | $313,629 | $110,614 | -64.7% |
| Cole K. Lange | $181,378 | $109,387 | -39.7% |
| Ann Smith | $144,218 | $107,318 | -25.6% |
| Oglala Sioux Parks & Recreation | $0 | $83,856 | -- |
| Don Hutchison | $128,265 | $79,480 | -38% |
| Bertt May | $4,489 | $75,688 | 1,586.1% |
| Marion Schultz | $86,714 | $66,390 | -23.4% |
| Michael John Puckett | $45,156 | $62,294 | 38% |
| Mark Winters | $99,455 | $56,584 | -43.1% |
| Marvin Coats | $111,733 | $55,551 | -50.3% |
| Vinnie Erdine Puckett | $60,526 | $50,396 | -16.7% |
| Gilbert Grooms | $152,691 | $49,606 | -67.5% |
| Wayde Boldon | $97,619 | $49,582 | -49.2% |
| Avery J. May | $42,328 | $47,982 | 13.4% |
| Glenn Allen Puckett | $33,135 | $47,840 | 44.4% |
| Novotny Brothers | $58,234 | $42,133 | -27.6% |
| Virgil Rust | $129,561 | $41,227 | -68.2% |
| Benedict Dale Scabby Face | $68,133 | $39,110 | -42.6% |
| Judith Merdanian | $41,861 | $36,489 | -12.8% |
| Michael Clarence Carlow | $42,407 | $36,452 | -14% |
| Patrick Leroy Rous | $32,372 | $34,848 | 7.6% |
| Larry Kehn | $86,324 | $32,332 | -62.5% |
| Robert Laurence Johnson Estate | $102,356 | $31,809 | -68.9% |
| Merlyn Jacobson | $58,600 | $30,885 | -47.3% |
| Clay R. Johnson | $99,473 | $28,561 | -71.3% |
| Darrell Yellow Hair | $55,778 | $28,558 | -48.8% |
| Pat F. Carlow | $28,876 | $28,241 | -2.2% |
| Nathan Kehn | $145,356 | $28,145 | -80.6% |
| Jason C. May | $28,148 | $26,733 | -5% |
| Lyla Hutchison | $0 | $26,600 | -- |
| Isaac Bettelyoun | $7,811 | $24,107 | 208.6% |
| Randy Puckett | $29,888 | $23,318 | -22% |
| Calvin Ghost Bear | $43,635 | $22,557 | -48.3% |
| Ray Swallow | $46,565 | $22,433 | -51.8% |
| Robert Eugene Pourier | $35,074 | $21,769 | -37.9% |
| Nicholas A. Cummings | $113,518 | $21,324 | -81.2% |
| Bryan Kehn | $118,204 | $20,462 | -82.7% |
| Tanner James O'Daniel | $62,241 | $19,313 | -69% |
| Kelly Ferguson | $18,513 | $18,373 | -0.8% |
| Russell Puckett | $22,230 | $18,076 | -18.7% |
| Orrin Michael Puckett | $33,231 | $17,375 | -47.7% |
| Marr Cummings | $13,101 | $17,112 | 30.6% |
| Eldon Lessert | $88,447 | $16,742 | -81.1% |
| Chance C. Knutson | $38,146 | $16,636 | -56.4% |
| Robert Goodman | $8,654 | $14,994 | 73.3% |
| Gilbert Janis | $8,943 | $14,740 | 64.8% |
| Kurt B. Puckett | $30,450 | $14,733 | -51.6% |
| Vincent Pilcher | $19,472 | $14,554 | -25.3% |
| Cass Waters | $4,788 | $14,511 | 203.1% |
| Alice Winter | $15,444 | $11,402 | -26.2% |
| Dale Vocu | $25,683 | $11,261 | -56.2% |
| Warren Pourier Sr. | $10,440 | $11,130 | 6.6% |
| Dalton L. Lessert | $45,500 | $9,780 | -78.5% |
| Chancy J. Wilson | $44,423 | $9,461 | -78.7% |
| Edward Zlomke | $9,925 | $9,418 | -5.1% |
| John Hussman | $48,812 | $9,344 | -80.9% |
| Stanley Wayne Brewer Jr. | $0 | $9,177 | -- |
| Darrel J. Puckett | $31,602 | $9,010 | -71.5% |
| Warren Pourier Jr. | $7,378 | $8,555 | 16% |
| Jerene Heesacker | $9,892 | $8,257 | -16.5% |
| Tiarra R. Little | $12,100 | $7,898 | -34.7% |
| Wes Janis | $4,509 | $7,598 | 68.5% |
| Walter Joseph Martinez | $7,810 | $7,455 | -4.5% |
| Mike Vaughn | $16,433 | $7,015 | -57.3% |
| Bradly K. Lange | $23,793 | $6,761 | -71.6% |
| Troy Weston | $0 | $6,660 | -- |
| Melvin Kocer | $28,567 | $6,582 | -77% |
| Nicole Johnson | $27,751 | $6,565 | -76.3% |
| Justin J. Little | $105,017 | $6,544 | -93.8% |
| Evry May | $9,523 | $6,525 | -31.5% |
| James Two Crow | $3,669 | $5,893 | 60.6% |
| Leonard William Ferguson | $22,982 | $5,711 | -75.2% |
| David Nelson | $0 | $5,610 | -- |
| Wade Phillip O'Daniel | $54,204 | $5,583 | -89.7% |
| Winters Family Trust | $13,106 | $5,408 | -58.7% |
| Douglas Lundeen | $10,964 | $4,807 | -56.2% |
| Shawn Richards | $2,244 | $4,734 | 111% |
| Miles Janis | $2,002 | $4,732 | 136.4% |
| Kevin C. Sasse | $32,299 | $4,328 | -86.6% |
| Nicholas Cummings Jr. | $29,770 | $4,305 | -85.5% |
| Aaron M. Smith | $26,753 | $4,092 | -84.7% |
| Lex Grooms Estate | $9,867 | $3,846 | -61% |
| Frank Hunter | $13,149 | $3,675 | -72.1% |
| Clint May | $20,924 | $3,383 | -83.8% |
| William James Boldon | $19,735 | $3,248 | -83.5% |
| Antoine D. Martinez | $12,640 | $3,208 | -74.6% |
| Joseph F Merrival | $16,059 | $3,145 | -80.4% |
| Mary Iron Cloud | $9,730 | $3,122 | -67.9% |
| Tyler Duane Lunderman | $9,136 | $3,053 | -66.6% |
| Roger Latshaw | $7,928 | $2,992 | -62.3% |
| Derek P. Hunter | $6,184 | $2,868 | -53.6% |
| Michael Devin Carlow III | $4,730 | $2,434 | -48.5% |
| John Marcus Hussman | $0 | $2,308 | -- |
| Marcell Dean Bull Bear | $18,529 | $2,299 | -87.6% |
| Dawn Montileaux Dugan | $7,458 | $2,289 | -69.3% |
| Heather M. Goings | $11,143 | $2,200 | -80.3% |
| Walter James Martinez Jr. | $0 | $2,099 | -- |
| Billy One Horn | $3,162 | $1,790 | -43.4% |
| Russell Merdanian | $7,887 | $1,762 | -77.7% |
| John Heathershaw | $5,818 | $1,748 | -70% |
| Jordan Jaron Wilson | $16,285 | $1,744 | -89.3% |
| Michael Holderness | $7,914 | $1,668 | -78.9% |
| Jessica E. Puckett | $8,030 | $1,662 | -79.3% |
| Russ Cournoyer | $2,563 | $1,460 | -43% |
| Tonya Lanora Cuny | $6,259 | $1,274 | -79.6% |
| Klay T. O'Daniel | $21,521 | $1,236 | -94.3% |
| Walter Don Deckert | $2,317 | $1,133 | -51.1% |
| Francis Ferguson | $5,170 | $1,087 | -79% |
| Ronald Pond | $6,292 | $1,014 | -83.9% |
| Doris Merrill | $1,844 | $979 | -46.9% |
| Marilyn Puckett | $4,774 | $956 | -80% |
| Mark Cuny | $11,648 | $898 | -92.3% |
| Leroy Pourier | $3,454 | $830 | -76% |
| Stephanie May | $4,314 | $700 | -83.8% |
| Lee Decory | $3,751 | $692 | -81.6% |
| Jason J. Bettelyoun | $3,399 | $690 | -79.7% |
| Dale Lynn Kills Enemy at Night | $3,212 | $665 | -79.3% |
| Virginia Mueller | $2,970 | $658 | -77.8% |
| Floyd D Montileaux | $0 | $653 | -- |
| John B. Pourier III | $5,370 | $634 | -88.2% |
| Wayne Cortier | $2,992 | $620 | -79.3% |
| Iris Wilson | $2,662 | $564 | -78.8% |
| Lyle Ferguson | $2,255 | $536 | -76.2% |
| Willard C. Grimes | $2,277 | $529 | -76.8% |
| Wayde Brodkorb | $946 | $471 | -50.2% |
| Delores Pourier | $3,504 | $460 | -86.9% |
| Ellen Cuny | $860 | $421 | -51% |
| Donnie Joseph Whirlwind Horse | $1,870 | $374 | -80% |
| Charles Lundeen | $1,551 | $343 | -77.9% |
| Eric Lee Kills Enemy at Night | $1,419 | $294 | -79.3% |
| Ivis Long Visitor | $1,298 | $280 | -78.4% |
| Beth Marie Perkins | $1,111 | $222 | -80% |
| Robert Decker | $638 | $149 | -76.6% |
| Dionna Latonne Bull Bear | $605 | $121 | -80% |
| Dylen Coy Ferguson | $605 | $121 | -80% |
| Baylee Justin Little | $605 | $121 | -80% |
| Alyssa Faith Mousseau | $572 | $114 | -80.1% |
| Daevonna Bull Bear | $539 | $87 | -83.9% |
| Allen Granelli | $1,831 | $0 | -100% |
| Darlene Rust | $596 | $0 | -100% |
| Samuel W. Smith | $2,275 | $0 | -100% |
| Virginia Meuller | $202 | $0 | -100% |
| Billy Onehorn | $1,214 | $0 | -100% |
| Maurice Vocu | $4,414 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Albert Vaughn Estate | $12,595 | $0 | -100% |
| Seth Albert May | $11,649 | $0 | -100% |
| The Lakota Fund, Inc. | $15,343 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian Brings Him Back Sr. | $1,265 | $0 | -100% |
| Curtis Temple | $144,228 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Sager | $947 | $0 | -100% |
| Morris Brewer | $5,054 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley Chuck Jacobs Jr. | $13,231 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,747,325 | $4,741,426 | -17.5% |
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