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In 2021, 251 farmers in cities within Berrien County received a total of $3.2 million in 459 farm subsidies, a 72.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $11.5 million in 960 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 Berrien County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Bixby | $207,360 | $334,829 | 61.5% |
| Arrowhead Vineyards, LLC | $398,351 | $190,605 | -52.2% |
| Marschke Farms, LLC | $141,518 | $153,875 | 8.7% |
| Fruit Acres Farm Market | $68,349 | $140,984 | 106.3% |
| DE Groot, Inc. | $0 | $106,978 | -- |
| Nick Totzke Farms, LLP | $785,706 | $102,577 | -86.9% |
| D and D Joint Venture | $200,293 | $74,155 | -63% |
| J & a Koebel Farm, LLC | $83,713 | $68,071 | -18.7% |
| Kaminski Farms, Inc. | $179,857 | $59,954 | -66.7% |
| Hillside Orchards, LLC | $31,767 | $56,808 | 78.8% |
| Joshua Seyfred | $165,420 | $49,703 | -70% |
| T & K Farms, LLC | $156,297 | $49,618 | -68.3% |
| James K. Baerwald | $70,290 | $49,402 | -29.7% |
| Andrew a Barbott | $50,157 | $48,090 | -4.1% |
| Zaluckyj Farms, LLC | $92,967 | $46,044 | -50.5% |
| Warda Farm, LLC | $90,108 | $42,682 | -52.6% |
| K & K Farms | $106,954 | $42,452 | -60.3% |
| Sunny Brooke Growers | $644,711 | $37,611 | -94.2% |
| Shuler Farms, LLC | $63,520 | $37,372 | -41.2% |
| Schilling Family Farms, LLC | $369,161 | $36,893 | -90% |
| Scott Doepker | $165,564 | $34,015 | -79.5% |
| John Edward Critzer | $118,743 | $33,451 | -71.8% |
| Dale Philip Seyfred | $135,279 | $31,052 | -77% |
| Susan Lee Seyfred | $135,279 | $31,052 | -77% |
| Brookwood Farms Three Oaks MI, LLC | $45,647 | $30,337 | -33.5% |
| Mark James Ferry | $82,286 | $29,514 | -64.1% |
| Midwest Agent, LLC | $112,374 | $28,505 | -74.6% |
| David Dustin | $38,470 | $28,105 | -26.9% |
| Old Dominion Produce | $52,795 | $27,886 | -47.2% |
| SWM Blueberry Management, Inc. | $329,282 | $27,273 | -91.7% |
| Susan J Kaminski Rev Living Trust | $27,029 | $27,029 | 0% |
| Larry L. Richter Jr. | $52,818 | $26,618 | -49.6% |
| Gravity Vineyards and Winery, LLC | $66,264 | $26,094 | -60.6% |
| Goff Nott, LLC | $49,864 | $25,548 | -48.8% |
| Harvest Best Farms, LLC | $59,108 | $25,340 | -57.1% |
| Hasse Brothers Farms, LLC | $35,899 | $25,197 | -29.8% |
| Andrews University | $53,487 | $22,674 | -57.6% |
| Snow Garden Farms | $105,346 | $21,801 | -79.3% |
| Ross Skibbe Farms, LLC | $28,480 | $20,860 | -26.8% |
| Kerlikowske Family Vineyard, LLC | $0 | $20,350 | -- |
| Kugel Farms, LLC | $48,409 | $19,928 | -58.8% |
| Edwin Albert Kerlikowske SR | $0 | $19,303 | -- |
| Kenneth Wayne Seifert | $71,580 | $19,253 | -73.1% |
| Klug Farms, LLC | $60,107 | $19,252 | -68% |
| Totzke Farms Properties, LLC | $80,509 | $18,387 | -77.2% |
| Lemon Creek Fruit Farms | $246,576 | $17,989 | -92.7% |
| James Ferry | $7,919 | $17,291 | 118.3% |
| Edward Czuba | $40,331 | $17,173 | -57.4% |
| Rodney K. Strefling | $61,570 | $16,997 | -72.4% |
| Dominion Bros, Inc. | $99,375 | $16,879 | -83% |
| Joseph B. Herman | $101,031 | $16,821 | -83.4% |
| Brent B. Ashby | $14,199 | $16,342 | 15.1% |
| Karl Alton Strefling | $64,440 | $16,331 | -74.7% |
| Scot Serry | $57,174 | $16,116 | -71.8% |
| Kriegers Wholesale Nursery, Inc. | $138,503 | $15,924 | -88.5% |
| Howard Payne | $46,322 | $14,598 | -68.5% |
| BLY Brothers Farm | $33,664 | $14,423 | -57.2% |
| Totzke Farms, LLC | $77,479 | $14,302 | -81.5% |
| Michael O. Moore | $43,695 | $13,819 | -68.4% |
| Elden R. Kuehl | $34,261 | $13,729 | -59.9% |
| Evelyn Hurlbutt Coe Family Trust | $15,622 | $13,141 | -15.9% |
| Gerald Schmaltz | $29,628 | $12,972 | -56.2% |
| Robert James Guse Jr. | $40,679 | $12,295 | -69.8% |
| New View Agriculture, LLC | $15,660 | $12,179 | -22.2% |
| David Dohm | $39,010 | $11,568 | -70.3% |
| Jerrold B Grieser/Jerry Grieser Farms | $28,773 | $11,520 | -60% |
| Ted Kozlowski | $43,468 | $11,345 | -73.9% |
| Kevin Warmbein | $39,282 | $11,304 | -71.2% |
| Aaron J. Molter | $53,218 | $10,680 | -79.9% |
| Robert Mischke | $21,544 | $10,606 | -50.8% |
| Carol Dominion | $160,116 | $9,834 | -93.9% |
| Stan Warda | $38,184 | $9,780 | -74.4% |
| Jared D. Greulich | $25,923 | $9,761 | -62.3% |
| Jerry Koebel Sr. | $38,095 | $9,619 | -74.7% |
| Nancy Koebel | $32,520 | $9,619 | -70.4% |
| A Donald Coe Family Trust | $6,459 | $9,041 | 40% |
| Louise Prillwitz | $18,463 | $8,808 | -52.3% |
| Shane Adam Current | $15,829 | $8,781 | -44.5% |
| Gary Hettlinger | $16,355 | $8,735 | -46.6% |
| Wayne Hosbein | $15,882 | $8,663 | -45.5% |
| Roger H Kugler Self Trust Agreement | $34,946 | $8,309 | -76.2% |
| Colleen Juliane Kugler | $35,202 | $8,097 | -77% |
| Greg & Karen Prillwitz, LLC | $172,035 | $7,910 | -95.4% |
| Trillium Spring, LLC | $6,372 | $7,778 | 22.1% |
| Williams Farms, LLC | $171,027 | $7,713 | -95.5% |
| David Dean Luther | $22,058 | $7,706 | -65.1% |
| Joshua Alan Blonde | $12,384 | $7,458 | -39.8% |
| Nicholas Ryan Morley | $24,520 | $7,089 | -71.1% |
| Scott Totzke | $17,503 | $6,721 | -61.6% |
| Michael Schmaltz | $15,929 | $6,621 | -58.4% |
| Heritage Family Farms, LLC | $445,132 | $6,435 | -98.6% |
| Douglas Wayne Wire | $11,944 | $6,363 | -46.7% |
| The Doris E. Siewert Trust | $23,376 | $6,102 | -73.9% |
| Alan A. Nimtz | $34,864 | $5,826 | -83.3% |
| Bonnie Kuehl | $18,822 | $5,477 | -70.9% |
| Forraht Farms | $34,665 | $5,429 | -84.3% |
| Edward L. Gast Jr. | $50,556 | $5,241 | -89.6% |
| Marc M Kerlikowske | $0 | $5,193 | -- |
| Daniel Starbuck | $0 | $5,128 | -- |
| Vernon Wayne Herter | $17,502 | $5,051 | -71.1% |
| Emma Teichman Irrevocable Trust | $20,970 | $4,963 | -76.3% |
| Sand Land Farms, Inc. | $42,341 | $4,953 | -88.3% |
| Thomas Fogarty | $10,420 | $4,919 | -52.8% |
| William J. Donner | $10,133 | $4,852 | -52.1% |
| Jacob Milliken | $2,318 | $4,820 | 107.9% |
| John Fleck | $9,282 | $4,702 | -49.3% |
| Mabel a Suchomma Niece Trust FBO Mary Ann Kynast | $0 | $4,529 | -- |
| Scott Skorupa | $7,742 | $4,205 | -45.7% |
| Timothy Wetzel | $9,868 | $4,105 | -58.4% |
| William Marsh | $13,561 | $4,054 | -70.1% |
| Donald Spitzke | $1,186 | $3,775 | 218.3% |
| Josh Blonde Farms, LLC | $9,204 | $3,720 | -59.6% |
| Dale L. Jasper Jr. | $7,140 | $3,689 | -48.3% |
| Dean Edward Schmaltz | $11,614 | $3,659 | -68.5% |
| Gerald N. Pilot | $3,502 | $3,502 | 0% |
| Brian Gnodtke | $12,003 | $3,482 | -71% |
| Zandarski Farms, Inc. | $8,620 | $3,434 | -60.2% |
| Domaine Berrien, LLC | $42,402 | $3,417 | -91.9% |
| Joseph F. Moore | $5,118 | $3,406 | -33.5% |
| Brian Troxell | $8,978 | $3,245 | -63.9% |
| Betty Rose | $3,122 | $3,122 | 0% |
| Dale Schlutt | $8,459 | $3,082 | -63.6% |
| Natures Way Landscaping, LLC | $33,457 | $2,813 | -91.6% |
| Gerald L. Wasko | $5,766 | $2,634 | -54.3% |
| James Vonk | $5,626 | $2,634 | -53.2% |
| Ginger Patera | $0 | $2,615 | -- |
| Norlan E Wolf | $8,068 | $2,612 | -67.6% |
| Dawn Kohl | $2,565 | $2,565 | 0% |
| Warren Gatchell | $2,894 | $2,432 | -16% |
| Dawn M. Valdez | $2,567 | $2,389 | -6.9% |
| Donald Evans | $9,454 | $2,377 | -74.9% |
| Susan R Batsky | $8,682 | $2,328 | -73.2% |
| Josephine Irlas Wolf | $2,583 | $2,259 | -12.5% |
| Dan Lausch | $6,101 | $2,241 | -63.3% |
| Todd Skala | $2,438 | $2,207 | -9.5% |
| Ronald Hein Jr. | $8,117 | $2,187 | -73.1% |
| Jeremy P Zaluckyj | $4,256 | $2,184 | -48.7% |
| Jerry Nicholson | $2,996 | $2,168 | -27.6% |
| Chad Skala | $2,397 | $2,143 | -10.6% |
| Jeff Skala | $2,397 | $2,143 | -10.6% |
| Matthew Barbott | $3,281 | $2,128 | -35.1% |
| Paul Charles Lozmack | $14,856 | $2,086 | -86% |
| Mark James Critzer | $4,048 | $2,080 | -48.6% |
| Ronald Hein | $0 | $2,072 | -- |
| Leon Schmaltz | $4,777 | $2,057 | -56.9% |
| John D. Jasper | $3,840 | $2,032 | -47.1% |
| John H. Teifke | $2,001 | $1,979 | -1.1% |
| Patrick A. Dinges | $3,341 | $1,904 | -43% |
| Michael R Zaluckyj | $5,709 | $1,820 | -68.1% |
| Greg Payne | $10,247 | $1,784 | -82.6% |
| Dick F. Trail | $1,334 | $1,779 | 33.4% |
| Tammy Monte | $1,934 | $1,760 | -9% |
| Agent Harvesting, LLC | $13,480 | $1,701 | -87.4% |
| Ruth J. Retzke | $6,674 | $1,583 | -76.3% |
| Paul Gerhardt Kugler | $5,265 | $1,574 | -70.1% |
| Gwendolyn R Jolly Trust | $4,620 | $1,551 | -66.4% |
| Randy Hein | $4,459 | $1,521 | -65.9% |
| Douglas Monte | $2,044 | $1,517 | -25.8% |
| Chris Falak | $1,129 | $1,505 | 33.3% |
| Douglas N. Schultz | $6,275 | $1,465 | -76.7% |
| Dean Calhoun | $1,447 | $1,447 | 0% |
| Matthew P. Strefling | $0 | $1,408 | -- |
| Adam Lower | $0 | $1,398 | -- |
| Glenn P. Horak | $4,775 | $1,392 | -70.8% |
| Larry J. Horak | $4,775 | $1,392 | -70.8% |
| Peggy Bormann | $1,365 | $1,365 | 0% |
| Greg Trail | $1,087 | $1,340 | 23.3% |
| Andrew R. Gantenbein | $1,320 | $1,320 | 0% |
| Jerry Nitz | $6,967 | $1,319 | -81.1% |
| Michael K. Lewis | $1,291 | $1,291 | 0% |
| Bill Ropp | $1,218 | $1,218 | 0% |
| Shelli Meulemans | $6,746 | $1,204 | -82.2% |
| Timothy R. Clark | $2,200 | $1,175 | -46.6% |
| Rodney Jannert | $8,215 | $1,173 | -85.7% |
| Marjorie Gatchell | $0 | $1,108 | -- |
| Kearry F Helwig | $2,831 | $1,106 | -60.9% |
| Ronald E. Hess Jr. | $2,813 | $1,084 | -61.5% |
| Vaughn Wolf | $18,244 | $1,082 | -94.1% |
| Gary Shaffer | $1,412 | $1,079 | -23.6% |
| Donald C Kublick SR | $1,802 | $1,046 | -42% |
| Rodney Jack Roberts | $3,379 | $1,027 | -69.6% |
| Dennis Prillwitz | $7,499 | $1,000 | -86.7% |
| Adam Evans | $2,909 | $977 | -66.4% |
| Karen J. Gill | $446 | $936 | 109.9% |
| Marschke Family Farms, LLC | $3,501 | $921 | -73.7% |
| Thomas D. Steele | $921 | $921 | 0% |
| Doris L Schrumpf/Ruth a Schrumpf | $3,018 | $911 | -69.8% |
| Stanley L. Dubbert | $910 | $910 | 0% |
| Karl Gollnast | $593 | $904 | 52.4% |
| Garry Griffin | $1,920 | $898 | -53.2% |
| June P. Lang | $852 | $852 | 0% |
| Eric G. Schrumpf | $5,359 | $836 | -84.4% |
| Mary E. Urish | $3,970 | $831 | -79.1% |
| Daniel R. Stockman | $7,007 | $808 | -88.5% |
| Patricia A. Lawson | $1,275 | $803 | -37% |
| Brian Totzke | $3,394 | $794 | -76.6% |
| Frank D. Jurenka | $1,295 | $757 | -41.5% |
| Denise E. Klopfenstein | $4,222 | $722 | -82.9% |
| Jerry L. Dlouhy | $711 | $711 | 0% |
| Anthony S. Dlouhy | $711 | $711 | 0% |
| James S. Dlouhy | $711 | $711 | 0% |
| Arthur King | $2,805 | $679 | -75.8% |
| Brett Hedman | $659 | $659 | 0% |
| Lisa Hedman | $659 | $659 | 0% |
| Lee J. White | $1,564 | $649 | -58.5% |
| Andrew E. Helbling | $1,429 | $643 | -55% |
| Edward Helbling | $1,429 | $643 | -55% |
| T & N Farms, LLC | $1,182 | $641 | -45.8% |
| Mary Knickerbocker | $1,416 | $636 | -55.1% |
| John Aurand | $449 | $628 | 39.9% |
| Sylvia Aurand | $449 | $628 | 39.9% |
| Marilyn Schrumpf | $2,196 | $612 | -72.1% |
| Toni Lynette Blonde | $411 | $549 | 33.6% |
| Richard A. Rieth | $864 | $536 | -38% |
| Jean Siebert | $2,689 | $528 | -80.4% |
| Molter Family Orchards | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Journeyman Distillery, LLC | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Hillside Chestnut Orchards, LLC | $9,447 | $496 | -94.7% |
| Five Pillars Farm, LLC | $457 | $488 | 6.8% |
| Constance Weldert | $468 | $468 | 0% |
| Rebecca Nice | $941 | $426 | -54.7% |
| Demonte Chrispens | $0 | $425 | -- |
| Juan Luis Sandoval | $13,614 | $390 | -97.1% |
| John Lindenmayer Irr J. Tr | $1,309 | $384 | -70.7% |
| Edward L. Kretchman | $10,799 | $375 | -96.5% |
| Jeffrey Dallas Livengood | $835 | $362 | -56.6% |
| Chester J. Critzer | $350 | $357 | 2% |
| Allyn Cooper | $5,778 | $316 | -94.5% |
| Peter F Yancich | $1,280 | $314 | -75.5% |
| Earnestine L Carder LVG Trust | $0 | $309 | -- |
| Sherman Dwayne Reed | $539 | $303 | -43.8% |
| Amelia J. Schroeder | $238 | $287 | 20.6% |
| Eloise Beardsley | $739 | $282 | -61.8% |
| Timothy Ferry | $138,635 | $235 | -99.8% |
| Elaine Beck | $839 | $216 | -74.3% |
| Susan Kretchman | $1,396 | $204 | -85.4% |
| Mary Sue Avery Weisser | $831 | $195 | -76.5% |
| Martin A. Dixon | $731 | $186 | -74.6% |
| James P. Fogarty | $252 | $142 | -43.7% |
| Joann M. Sutter | $0 | $137 | -- |
| Sherrill Holdings, LLC | $0 | $136 | -- |
| Lake Breeze Farms, LLC | $660 | $116 | -82.4% |
| Anthony Gargiulo | $0 | $115 | -- |
| Cherrie R. Walker | $214 | $90 | -57.9% |
| Joseph C. Walker | $214 | $90 | -57.9% |
| Catherine Y. Klaer | $187 | $69 | -63.1% |
| Karen - Sue Gatlin Rev Liv Trustee - Sue Gatlin | $68 | $68 | 0% |
| Sunnybrooke Grains, LLC | $41,429 | $66 | -99.8% |
| John W. McConnell | $0 | $64 | -- |
| Miriam Joan Barbott | $31 | $31 | 0% |
| Pagel Farms, LLC | $38,366 | $1 | -100% |
| Andrew Spitzke | $191 | $0 | -100% |
| Brenda G. Kovarik | $1,661 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua J. Rick | $44,381 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew James Deitrich | $70,631 | $0 | -100% |
| Ned R Totzke Revocable Trust | $8,789 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicklas Totzke II | $1,691 | $0 | -100% |
| Sherman L. Walker | $1,605 | $0 | -100% |
| Totzke Girls | $6,371 | $0 | -100% |
| Andres Bros Farms, LLC | $88,370 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel M Dominion | $121,303 | $0 | -100% |
| Ellis Family Farms, LLC | $66,829 | $0 | -100% |
| John E. Eberhart | $342 | $0 | -100% |
| L H Piggott & Girls, Inc. | $213,228 | $0 | -100% |
| Theodore A. Weber | $2,874 | $0 | -100% |
| Victor Rogers | $779 | $0 | -100% |
| Alex Kolosowsky | $2,748 | $0 | -100% |
| George V. Rockey | $100 | $0 | -100% |
| Hildebrand Fruit Farms, LLC | $79,340 | $0 | -100% |
| John P. Kugel | $20,239 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra L. Barefield | $513 | $0 | -100% |
| Sunnybrooke Farms, LLC | $18,993 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Zech | $24,500 | $0 | -100% |
| William Knuth | $2,772 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall Arnold | $216 | $0 | -100% |
| Jollay Orchards, LLC | $51,213 | $0 | -100% |
| Leslie W. Schmuhl | $32 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Faraone | $638 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Lee Fish | $557 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard L. Janke | $10,050 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlos Santana | $1,930 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrell Ferguson | $9,834 | $0 | -100% |
| David Timmreck | $794 | $0 | -100% |
| Disterheft Farms, LLC | $44,344 | $0 | -100% |
| E Dale Disterheft | $3,958 | $0 | -100% |
| Harner Farms, LLC | $255,798 | $0 | -100% |
| James A. Froehlich | $6,218 | $0 | -100% |
| Kerry Wesner | $84 | $0 | -100% |
| Piedt Farms, LLC | $164,818 | $0 | -100% |
| Ralph Lopez | $8,744 | $0 | -100% |
| Schilling Farms, LLC | $12,190 | $0 | -100% |
| Sunny Harvest Farms, LLC | $29,301 | $0 | -100% |
| Tomato Express, LLC | $206,495 | $0 | -100% |
| William Forest Teichman | $4,625 | $0 | -100% |
| Brita Soper | $40,229 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig Raas | $2,102 | $0 | -100% |
| James E. Childs | $274 | $0 | -100% |
| Sister Hill Nursery | $13,985 | $0 | -100% |
| Terry Koebel | $32,552 | $0 | -100% |
| Warren P. Strefling | $1,085 | $0 | -100% |
| Beverly Ann So Trust | $14,550 | $0 | -100% |
| Brent W. Hurst | $1,025 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig A. Herrington | $5,657 | $0 | -100% |
| Dongvillo Vineyards, Inc. | $26,501 | $0 | -100% |
| Gast Farms | $10,872 | $0 | -100% |
| Hawkeye Farms, LLC | $95,073 | $0 | -100% |
| Mabel a Suchomma Niece Trust FBO | $1,806 | $0 | -100% |
| Maryann Hurst | $1,025 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth Ann Stelling -ruth Ann Stell | $5,964 | $0 | -100% |
| Sue A. Gunderman | $3,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Vedette Palis-Cordes | $3,266 | $0 | -100% |
| Harland Raas | $1,812 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell Holub | $746 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley A. Doms | $1,053 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $11,494,920 | $3,175,344 | -72.4% |
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