Our newest OpenTheBooks.com Oversight Report: Harvesting U.S. Farm Subsidies quantified all federal farm subsidies flowing into urban areas between fiscal years 2015 and 2017. Over this three-year period, nearly $8 million in farm subsidy payments flowed to recipients in Chicago. In fiscal year 2017 alone, $2.1 million in payments flowed to the Windy City.
Out of America's five most populated cities (New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, and Chicago) plus Washington, D.C., Chicago received the largest amount of farm subsidy funding.
Farm subsidies have become welfare for the wealthy. This was never intended. During the great depression, they were created to keep the small family farm afloat and ensure a stable national food supply. Today, these subsidies have grown so lucrative that wealthy investors, large corporations, and farm-estate heirs use taxpayer money to maximize their personal returns.
Chicago has its own set of Beverly Hillbillies. These recipients live in the city and receive their farm subsidy checks in the city, but they might own a farm... somewhere.
Historically, we found Rev. Louis Farrahkan received $317,000 in farm subsidies and commodities loans for a farm in Georgia. These payments were sent to his home in Hyde Park over a 16-year period, but this funding stopped in 2011.
Now, we’ve found one Iowa farm owner receiving federal farm subsidy payments at his dental practice in Chicago. We also found the owner of a quail farm receiving tens of thousands at a city address.
We’ve mapped all federal farm subsidy payments over $100,000 so taxpayers can use our interactive map and see where exactly these farm subsidies in the city are flowing.
We need engaged citizens asking the hard-hitting questions and getting informed. Come to OpenTheBooks.com and use our interactive map and see how much federal farm subsidy payments are flowing into your neighborhood.
View Federal Farm Subsidies to Chicago, IL FY2015-2017 in a full screen map