Cape Cod Ledger

Farms in Dukes County received $17,619 in taxpayer-funded subsidies in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Of the seven subsidies provided, the largest was for Island Grown Initiative, which received $10,816 for the claim of "Coronavirus Food Assistance Program - Continuation of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act".

The smallest subsidy provided to a Dukes County farmer was $200 to Vineyard Open Land Foundation.

There was one fewer subsidy than the year before, and the total value of the subsidies fell by $194,506.

Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."

USDA data analyzed by the Cato Institute found that "farmers (on net) have derived almost 40% of their income directly from the U.S. government” in recent years.

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	$ Received	Reason for Subsidy	Total Received in Subsidies by Farmer ($)
Island Grown Initiative	$10,816	Coronavirus Food Assistance Program - Continuation of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act	$10,816
Roy C. Hope	$2,932	Conservation Reserve Program Payment - Annual Rental	$2,932
John S. Stephens	$2,197	Seafood Trade Relief Program	$2,197
Saunier's Heather Gardens, Inc.	$761	Coronavirus Food Assistance Program - Continuation of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act	$761
Andrew Wheeler	$441	Seafood Trade Relief Program	$441
Pamela Danz	$272	Conservation Reserve Program Payment - Annual Rental	$272
Vineyard Open Land Foundation	$200	Commodity Credit Corporation Organic Cost Share - Crops Program	$200