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In 2021, 45 farmers in cities within Philadelphia County received a total of $5.9 million in 58 farm subsidies, a 18% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $7.2 million in 89 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.
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Export USA Northeast | $6,938,769 | $5,731,986 | -17.4% |
| The Nature Conservancy | $48,297 | $50,000 | 3.5% |
| Donna J. Carney | $15,063 | $15,063 | 0% |
| Estate of Lawrence T. Hoyle Jr. | $5,797 | $12,304 | 112.2% |
| Long V. Cao | $0 | $8,740 | -- |
| Jig-Bee, LLC | $0 | $8,318 | -- |
| Mycopolitan Mushroom Company | $0 | $8,098 | -- |
| Boyce a Bauman Estate | $15,340 | $7,952 | -48.2% |
| Robinson Family Estate, LLC | $14,934 | $7,764 | -48% |
| Hunt Johnson Farms, Inc. | $17,173 | $6,260 | -63.5% |
| Mcleod Lehman Assets, LLC | $3,083 | $4,443 | 44.1% |
| Carlton C Gossett Trustee Uw FBO Elizabeth a Kalb | $16,951 | $3,640 | -78.5% |
| Kent Beachler | $14,996 | $3,193 | -78.7% |
| Carolyn J. Adams | $11,601 | $2,443 | -78.9% |
| Lyndall G Miller | $0 | $2,442 | -- |
| Walter Gerhard | $6,683 | $2,232 | -66.6% |
| Susan Thiel-Susan E Thiel Revocable Trust | $5,411 | $1,456 | -73.1% |
| Troy Nicholas Steckman | $0 | $1,381 | -- |
| Kirk E. Smothers | $4,747 | $1,093 | -77% |
| 174 Marsh Creek LP | $1,059 | $1,059 | 0% |
| Ronald Emrich | $1,621 | $963 | -40.6% |
| Andrew J. Sherman | $922 | $922 | 0% |
| Maria S. Hoek | $681 | $807 | 18.5% |
| Joannes Hoek | $723 | $723 | 0% |
| Gregory J. Schrand | $877 | $714 | -18.6% |
| Malcolm-Cioffi Farms, LLC | $0 | $666 | -- |
| Kalb Rvoc Management Trustee | $5,090 | $631 | -87.6% |
| Philadelphia Macaroni Company | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Phyllis Bischoff | $0 | $482 | -- |
| The Ruth F Marino Living Trust | $377 | $360 | -4.5% |
| Ruth Ann Malcolm Estate | $1,050 | $317 | -69.8% |
| Markel Weldon | $421 | $266 | -36.8% |
| Brett Dietsch | $0 | $254 | -- |
| Ann L. Watts | $252 | $250 | -0.8% |
| Francis J. Byrne | $0 | $211 | -- |
| Nolan R Helig | $205 | $197 | -3.9% |
| Eric B. Geiger | $139 | $139 | 0% |
| James P. Weygandt | $0 | $100 | -- |
| Loren J. Vosika | $328 | $99 | -69.8% |
| Barbara A. Welsh | $0 | $86 | -- |
| Edward Sargent | $80 | $80 | 0% |
| Patricia Stewart | $80 | $80 | 0% |
| Janice M. Berrian | $0 | $55 | -- |
| James B. Hudson | $1,140 | $49 | -95.7% |
| Mona A. Hudgins | $0 | $12 | -- |
| Chris Bowen | $7 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank G. Slaughter Jr. | $397 | $0 | -100% |
| Gustavo Lopez | $2,700 | $0 | -100% |
| Johanna Maria Martinez Lebron | $3,110 | $0 | -100% |
| LHJ Farm, LLC | $598 | $0 | -100% |
| Love 'n Fresh Flowers, LLC | $23,866 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary N Weygandt Estate | $300 | $0 | -100% |
| Peter T. Corcoran | $1,933 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Gresko | $3,168 | $0 | -100% |
| The Margaret Ann Lehman Family Trust | $5,054 | $0 | -100% |
| Wm L. Leonard | $6,203 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $7,181,226 | $5,888,830 | -18% |
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