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In 2021, 204 farmers in cities within Aroostook County received a total of $4.3 million in 427 farm subsidies, a 75.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $17.8 million in 516 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 Aroostook County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guerrette Farms Corporation | $1,296,126 | $259,528 | -80% |
| Irving Farms, Inc. | $602,901 | $218,480 | -63.8% |
| R&M Grains, LLC | $108,682 | $175,837 | 61.8% |
| Stephen C. Griffeth | $485,206 | $132,240 | -72.7% |
| John F. Griffeth II | $562,132 | $119,538 | -78.7% |
| Thomas C. Quint | $146,928 | $108,246 | -26.3% |
| Matthew A. Griffeth | $546,966 | $102,538 | -81.3% |
| Orman Kyle Blackstone | $594,309 | $102,297 | -82.8% |
| Will-Turn Farms, LLC | $499,217 | $97,951 | -80.4% |
| Benjiman K. Blackstone | $395,854 | $89,932 | -77.3% |
| Porter Farms, LLC | $338,055 | $80,836 | -76.1% |
| Nature's Circle Farm | $0 | $80,605 | -- |
| G & M Farms, Inc. | $388,425 | $80,544 | -79.3% |
| Ireland Farms, Inc. | $94,565 | $73,615 | -22.2% |
| Peter N. Page | $78,446 | $59,050 | -24.7% |
| Joel M. Duff | $41,759 | $53,318 | 27.7% |
| Kelley J Pierce | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Brian Bouchard & Sons, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| JL Rich Timber Harvesting, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Backwoods, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Billy D. Hardy | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| J. B. O. Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| B & R Bartlett Enterprise, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Colin Bartlett & Sons, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Steven Hovey | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| White Oak, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Big Timber, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Desjardins Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Ducas Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Normand Voisine & Sons Trucking, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| S & S Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| JBR Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,597 | -- |
| Martin Forest Products | $0 | $50,462 | -- |
| Bank Bouchard & Sons, Inc. | $0 | $46,218 | -- |
| Lucas Boucher Lumber, LLC | $0 | $45,191 | -- |
| Breen K. Blackstone | $310,967 | $43,291 | -86.1% |
| Jeffrey Winslow | $0 | $43,182 | -- |
| Dana L. Morrell | $301,270 | $42,970 | -85.7% |
| Kenney-Porter Seed Farms, Inc. | $103,663 | $40,790 | -60.7% |
| Kirk E. Wilson | $48,466 | $40,469 | -16.5% |
| Nadeau Trucking, LLC | $0 | $38,396 | -- |
| Jonnie Desjardins | $0 | $38,234 | -- |
| Braydon Paradis | $0 | $37,373 | -- |
| Gilles M. Michaud | $126,152 | $36,931 | -70.7% |
| Ward & Stephanie Mclaughlin | $233,479 | $36,583 | -84.3% |
| C & T Forestry, Inc. | $0 | $34,204 | -- |
| Willard C Doyen & Sons | $432,944 | $33,509 | -92.3% |
| Deprey Harvesting, Inc. | $0 | $31,240 | -- |
| Management Logging, Inc. | $0 | $30,997 | -- |
| Barry Buck | $0 | $30,799 | -- |
| Craig D. Bouchard | $269,551 | $29,110 | -89.2% |
| Cole Bernier | $0 | $28,610 | -- |
| White Farms, Inc. | $112,287 | $27,680 | -75.3% |
| Mark Hafford | $0 | $26,466 | -- |
| Scott A. Martin | $267,256 | $26,178 | -90.2% |
| Buck Family Farms, LLC | $17,690 | $25,036 | 41.5% |
| Vaughn L. Chase | $33,708 | $24,460 | -27.4% |
| Golden Harvest Farms, Inc. | $27,829 | $24,175 | -13.1% |
| Chester Rafford | $0 | $22,505 | -- |
| Trevor G. Michaud | $255,528 | $21,770 | -91.5% |
| Robert A. Butler | $156,381 | $20,217 | -87.1% |
| Umphrey Logging | $0 | $20,183 | -- |
| Roussel Logging, Inc. | $0 | $18,741 | -- |
| Keirstead Farm, LLC | $233,089 | $18,207 | -92.2% |
| Garth Johnston | $0 | $17,763 | -- |
| Clarence Keegan | $0 | $17,360 | -- |
| Michael a & Ann H Hagan | $310,200 | $17,279 | -94.4% |
| Jamison B. Hagan | $284,493 | $17,225 | -93.9% |
| Miller Farms, LLC | $194,928 | $17,021 | -91.3% |
| Murray Dan Blackstone | $132,256 | $16,659 | -87.4% |
| William G. Fitzpatrick | $0 | $16,403 | -- |
| Robert S Shaw & Son, LLC | $168,317 | $16,280 | -90.3% |
| Connors Trucking, Inc. | $0 | $14,442 | -- |
| Brent A. Bartlett | $23,321 | $14,219 | -39% |
| Philip E. Kilcollins | $135,513 | $14,197 | -89.5% |
| Josh Blanchette Trucking | $0 | $14,147 | -- |
| SDB Farms, LLC | $33,141 | $13,967 | -57.9% |
| Steven Simard | $0 | $13,114 | -- |
| Aroostook Beef Company, LLC | $47,900 | $12,427 | -74.1% |
| Brian R. Edgecomb | $5,778 | $12,045 | 108.5% |
| Taylor Joseph Butler | $119,903 | $12,044 | -90% |
| Kingsbury Family Farm, LLC | $454,847 | $11,956 | -97.4% |
| J & O Smith, Inc. | $147,440 | $11,829 | -92% |
| Janet Peterson | $11,778 | $11,778 | 0% |
| Thomas A. Devoe | $9,746 | $11,065 | 13.5% |
| Hemphill Farms, Inc. | $95,687 | $10,755 | -88.8% |
| Cary C. Hill | $46,628 | $9,994 | -78.6% |
| Triple Crown Farms | $125,415 | $9,910 | -92.1% |
| Trent L. Lundeen | $277,198 | $9,671 | -96.5% |
| Lee D. Langley | $4,079 | $8,035 | 97% |
| Crane Family Investments, Inc. | $0 | $7,949 | -- |
| Jeffrey P. Condon | $6,240 | $7,818 | 25.3% |
| Erich J. Margeson | $7,068 | $7,497 | 6.1% |
| Warren Grass | $671 | $7,285 | 985.7% |
| Brent E. Edgecomb | $52,166 | $7,017 | -86.5% |
| Sheena R. Page | $32,580 | $6,807 | -79.1% |
| Albert Fitzpatrick | $16,395 | $6,615 | -59.7% |
| Bell Brothers, Inc. | $176,262 | $6,374 | -96.4% |
| Paul St Pierre Jr. | $175,050 | $6,303 | -96.4% |
| Linda L. Langley | $3,744 | $6,212 | 65.9% |
| Noyes Flower & Plant Shoppe | $0 | $5,891 | -- |
| Gene W. Lawlor Jr. | $32,849 | $5,805 | -82.3% |
| Laurence Park | $37 | $5,767 | 15,486.5% |
| Philip G. Staples | $103,947 | $5,341 | -94.9% |
| Jefferey Armstrong | $870 | $5,128 | 489.4% |
| Lucerne Farms | $0 | $5,123 | -- |
| Mitchell D. McLaughlin | $10,295 | $5,064 | -50.8% |
| Shannon D. Staples | $104,360 | $4,987 | -95.2% |
| Peter J. Campbell | $4,923 | $4,905 | -0.4% |
| Enos S. Esh | $6,633 | $4,895 | -26.2% |
| Bill Blackstone | $56,018 | $4,682 | -91.6% |
| Randy L. Martin | $0 | $4,532 | -- |
| Alice Chandler | $4,289 | $4,289 | 0% |
| Troy McCrum | $7,234 | $4,130 | -42.9% |
| Joel B. Oliver | $77,630 | $3,927 | -94.9% |
| Amy Ricciardi | $3,678 | $3,678 | 0% |
| Logan L. McLaughlin | $25,459 | $3,551 | -86.1% |
| Thomas R. Pelletier | $0 | $3,461 | -- |
| Bonnie Kinney | $0 | $3,459 | -- |
| River Bank Capital, Inc. | $2,971 | $2,971 | 0% |
| Bret R. Butler | $201,568 | $2,850 | -98.6% |
| Smith's Farm, Inc. | $627,917 | $2,802 | -99.6% |
| Dolores Crofton-Macdonald | $0 | $2,736 | -- |
| Philip L. Desjardins | $2,561 | $2,561 | 0% |
| Carl Johnston | $0 | $2,551 | -- |
| Maine Malt House, LLC | $5,589 | $2,518 | -54.9% |
| Grass Family Farms, LLC | $49,300 | $2,484 | -95% |
| Gregory A. Ward | $2,451 | $2,451 | 0% |
| Fitzpatrick & Peabody Farms, LLC | $93,657 | $2,417 | -97.4% |
| Murray D. Blackstone | $307,021 | $2,380 | -99.2% |
| Paula Barrett | $3,912 | $2,048 | -47.6% |
| Samuel Wright | $1,883 | $2,016 | 7.1% |
| Ronald J. Daigle | $2,005 | $2,005 | 0% |
| Danielle L. Langley | $3,190 | $1,998 | -37.4% |
| Benjamin Voisine | $1,886 | $1,886 | 0% |
| Joseph Voisine | $1,886 | $1,886 | 0% |
| Adam Jandreau | $1,775 | $1,775 | 0% |
| Jennifer L. Norsworthyespling | $1,775 | $1,775 | 0% |
| Chad T. Bouchard | $342 | $1,724 | 404.1% |
| Albert Desjardins | $3,609 | $1,639 | -54.6% |
| Linda Desjardins | $1,389 | $1,639 | 18% |
| Tadd Devoe Devoe Grain and Feed | $1,222 | $1,630 | 33.4% |
| David A. Winship | $1,622 | $1,572 | -3.1% |
| Gina M. Clark | $1,494 | $1,494 | 0% |
| Thibeau Farms, LLC | $106,676 | $1,486 | -98.6% |
| Charles K. Theriault | $1,456 | $1,456 | 0% |
| Philip A. Dubois | $8,575 | $1,414 | -83.5% |
| Toby Fitzpatrick | $58,277 | $1,383 | -97.6% |
| R Mark & Gloria Goughan | $34,660 | $1,348 | -96.1% |
| Clifford Audibert Jr. | $1,182 | $1,182 | 0% |
| Leah R. Mazerolle | $2,347 | $1,177 | -49.9% |
| Paul St Pierre | $77,120 | $1,161 | -98.5% |
| Blackstone Seed Growers, LLC | $509,507 | $1,122 | -99.8% |
| Vincent S. Ouellette | $6,493 | $1,120 | -82.8% |
| Scott Pierce | $1,485 | $1,014 | -31.7% |
| Gene R. Helstrom | $23,260 | $965 | -95.9% |
| Taylor W. McLaughlin | $29,209 | $919 | -96.9% |
| Allen Lavertu | $893 | $893 | 0% |
| Carol Thibodeau | $1,254 | $877 | -30.1% |
| Eldon Thibodeau | $1,254 | $877 | -30.1% |
| Marcel Dionne | $3,916 | $869 | -77.8% |
| Stuart M. Sutherland | $80,446 | $846 | -98.9% |
| Noah J. Margeson | $3,102 | $768 | -75.2% |
| Keith E. Thibeau | $0 | $710 | -- |
| Ireland Family Trust | $1,332 | $666 | -50% |
| Donald Fitzpatrick | $124,501 | $641 | -99.5% |
| Sharon R. O'Donnell | $7,020 | $640 | -90.9% |
| Randy G. Lincoln | $3,938 | $636 | -83.8% |
| Elizabeth S. McLaughlin | $5,244 | $607 | -88.4% |
| Keith E. Thibeau II | $61,061 | $587 | -99% |
| Andrew F. Mooers | $291 | $522 | 79.4% |
| Patrick Fournier | $696 | $485 | -30.3% |
| David M. Cook | $470 | $470 | 0% |
| David A. Bartlett | $290 | $458 | 57.9% |
| J a & R Farms | $1,881 | $423 | -77.5% |
| John F. Griffeth Sr. | $371,559 | $402 | -99.9% |
| Paul Lavoie | $377 | $377 | 0% |
| Gerald Desjardins | $357 | $357 | 0% |
| Roger a Callnan | $7,131 | $354 | -95% |
| Steve W. Bubar | $72,008 | $313 | -99.6% |
| Dale W. Boutilier | $300 | $300 | 0% |
| Andrea Brown | $263 | $263 | 0% |
| Leo J. Fitzpatrick | $322 | $247 | -23.3% |
| Nelson Chapman Farms, LLC | $0 | $240 | -- |
| Robert G. Hallett | $0 | $207 | -- |
| Duane Grass | $0 | $203 | -- |
| Kendall Grass | $0 | $186 | -- |
| Thomas C & Beth E Quint | $95,474 | $172 | -99.8% |
| Richard O. Sloat | $0 | $166 | -- |
| Samuel S. Blackstone | $42,474 | $145 | -99.7% |
| Anne Braley | $40,208 | $145 | -99.6% |
| Janet Mcgillan | $134 | $134 | 0% |
| Ronald Albert | $102 | $102 | 0% |
| Ronald Page | $101 | $101 | 0% |
| Eugene Folsom | $495 | $86 | -82.6% |
| Dorothy Estabrook | $0 | $56 | -- |
| Georgia Nicholas | $271 | $51 | -81.2% |
| Stephen P. Higgins | $50 | $50 | 0% |
| Jeffrey E Giggie | $42 | $42 | 0% |
| Dana T. Morrell | $146,224 | $36 | -100% |
| Stephen C. Sweetser | $15 | $15 | 0% |
| Green Meadow Farms, Inc. | $322,187 | $12 | -100% |
| Fred Bubar Jr. | $69,914 | $9 | -100% |
| Thomas L. Bubar | $69,914 | $9 | -100% |
| Randal Ingraham | $550 | $0 | -100% |
| Emerald Valley Ranches, LLC | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank McElwain | $8,784 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey A. Ouellette | $2,953 | $0 | -100% |
| M Skonieczny & Son | $6,026 | $0 | -100% |
| Mason A. Turner | $5,706 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher and Suzanne Caswell | $1,236 | $0 | -100% |
| Dean M. McLaughlin | $80 | $0 | -100% |
| Janet Lake | $2,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher M. Giberson | $7,399 | $0 | -100% |
| Connor P. Thibeau | $8,197 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicholas Bubar | $32,732 | $0 | -100% |
| Karin M. Morey | $211 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew O. Oliver | $570 | $0 | -100% |
| Tammie M. Mulvey | $24,105 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric L. Lincoln | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicholas Crane | $87 | $0 | -100% |
| Riley J. Fitzpatrick | $7,659 | $0 | -100% |
| The County's Best, LLC | $2,783 | $0 | -100% |
| Edgecomb Farms, LLC | $352,924 | $0 | -100% |
| Tadd A. Devoe | $575 | $0 | -100% |
| Roxanne M. Bruce | $421 | $0 | -100% |
| Caryl M. Albert | $2,497 | $0 | -100% |
| Endico Farms, Inc. | $125,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerard Raymond Trust | $9,179 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert C. Hebert | $2,576 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce A. Buck | $30,799 | $0 | -100% |
| Buck Farms | $29,131 | $0 | -100% |
| Jared A. Buck | $4,213 | $0 | -100% |
| County Farms, LLC | $276,940 | $0 | -100% |
| Crabtree Farms | $3,222 | $0 | -100% |
| Sunday River Farms, LLC | $3,404 | $0 | -100% |
| Ward J. McLaughlin | $107,187 | $0 | -100% |
| William J. Boyd | $85,220 | $0 | -100% |
| Graig Bouchard | $1,385 | $0 | -100% |
| Leo F. Pelletier | $1,967 | $0 | -100% |
| Heather M Zakupowsky | $2,265 | $0 | -100% |
| Sharee Hovey | $424 | $0 | -100% |
| Cole J. Staples | $3,282 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray Lamoreau | $471 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin A. Bouchard | $582 | $0 | -100% |
| Northwoods Nectar, LLC | $2,529 | $0 | -100% |
| Randy Corriveau | $11,293 | $0 | -100% |
| Sherrie A. Bouchard | $582 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Hale | $399 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $17,786,820 | $4,310,841 | -75.8% |
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