Manhattan architect said he received $3,300 from Trump farm bailout: report

An architect living in Manhattan said he received a $3,300 check as part of President Trump’s bailout for farmers hurt by ongoing trade wars, even though he said he only spends two weeks a year on his family farm in Ohio.

Scott Yocom was one of at least 1,100 residents living in one of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. to receive bailout funds from the Agriculture Department, according to The Washington Post.

{mosads}As a part-owner, Yocom is eligible to receive the funds even though he has a full-time job other than managing the family farm. The farm was passed on to Yocom from his grandfather through his father.

The bailout funds were issued as a result of the trade wars Trump has waged with China. Trump announced in August that the U.S. would provide farmers with a total of $12 billion in aid.

The Environmental Working Group, a critic of the bailout, released information on Monday showing that residents of cities have collected more than $1 million in payments from the government.

“In order to receive a payment, the producer has to meet the minimum ‘Actively Engaged in Farming’ criteria. Those regulations are used to determine eligibility for all of our other Farm Bill commodity programs,” USDA spokesman Tim Murtaugh told the Post. “The producers also have to maintain ownership over the commodity for which they are receiving a payment. … A producer has to prove actual production of a crop to qualify for market facilitation assistance.”

For his part, Yocom said he would take the money and reinvest it into the family farm. He said he plans to leave New York City one day and take over the family business.

“It’s a bit of a novelty, but it’s part of an American tradition,” Yocom said. “I like Park Avenue, but I still carry on the family legacy.”