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In 2021, 102 farmers in cities within Montgomery County received a total of $565,695 in 169 farm subsidies, a 70.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.9 million in 275 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darryl Knechel | $112,804 | $78,981 | -30% |
| Waltz Turf Farm, Inc. | $8,956 | $72,149 | 705.6% |
| Stanley V. Guest | $74,039 | $48,914 | -33.9% |
| Drew R. Bechtel | $47,353 | $39,072 | -17.5% |
| Edward R Shuhler | $45,912 | $36,993 | -19.4% |
| Evergreen Lane Farm, LLC | $0 | $20,435 | -- |
| Merrill Mest | $13,097 | $17,663 | 34.9% |
| Joseph Costa | $26,297 | $16,173 | -38.5% |
| Laurel Locks Farm | $25,262 | $13,846 | -45.2% |
| Jerry Lowell Chiles | $0 | $12,566 | -- |
| George D Strutynski JR | $3,634 | $11,359 | 212.6% |
| Corinne High | $17,485 | $8,141 | -53.4% |
| Morton H. Fetterolf III | $6,208 | $7,394 | 19.1% |
| Liberty Associates | $7,083 | $7,083 | 0% |
| Wm J. Burnett | $7,551 | $6,618 | -12.4% |
| REBCO | $0 | $6,180 | -- |
| Carol Miriam Younathan Residuary Trust Janet Nadya Younathan | $6,166 | $6,166 | 0% |
| Kollman Farms, Inc. | $19,042 | $5,851 | -69.3% |
| Charles M. Smith | $5,779 | $5,779 | 0% |
| John C. Kolle | $13,848 | $5,775 | -58.3% |
| For Generations of III Holdings LP | $0 | $5,600 | -- |
| Haley L Erdlen | $5,459 | $5,459 | 0% |
| Robert T. Chenoweth | $20,025 | $5,293 | -73.6% |
| Sharp Farms, LLC | $16,922 | $5,126 | -69.7% |
| Arthur A. Kulp | $15,101 | $5,091 | -66.3% |
| Janita A. Mahoney | $5,529 | $5,088 | -8% |
| Merrymead Farm Associates, LLP | $73,195 | $5,082 | -93.1% |
| Andrew Kumpf | $4,845 | $5,065 | 4.5% |
| Merrill D. Walters | $5,011 | $5,011 | 0% |
| Nowell Fry | $13,460 | $4,815 | -64.2% |
| Matthew G. Wismer | $1,153 | $4,582 | 297.4% |
| Lloyd E. Gottshall | $1,937 | $3,455 | 78.4% |
| Adam G. Long | $3,433 | $3,433 | 0% |
| Dale Frankenfield | $8,332 | $3,332 | -60% |
| James B. Speer | $14,284 | $3,222 | -77.4% |
| D G S Investments | $2,961 | $2,961 | 0% |
| Michael Appold | $1,320 | $2,698 | 104.4% |
| Elsie Buyers Viehman Revocable Trust | $0 | $2,556 | -- |
| Thea Maria Jones | $4,377 | $2,406 | -45% |
| Edward A. Kulp | $681 | $2,367 | 247.6% |
| Monica Fry | $0 | $2,314 | -- |
| Colin Sollenberger | $4,247 | $2,031 | -52.2% |
| Freddy Hill Farms | $6,141 | $1,978 | -67.8% |
| Margaret B. Sperow | $5,195 | $1,972 | -62% |
| Carolyn Shuhler | $5,047 | $1,951 | -61.3% |
| Maria K Shuhler | $5,047 | $1,951 | -61.3% |
| Cory Mowrer | $3,056 | $1,897 | -37.9% |
| Dennis M. Ambrose | $1,970 | $1,803 | -8.5% |
| Christie R. Hatch | $1,792 | $1,792 | 0% |
| Carol A. Guinn | $3,151 | $1,744 | -44.7% |
| The Original Ten, Inc. | $1,737 | $1,737 | 0% |
| James Engelke | $1,524 | $1,703 | 11.7% |
| Claire Orr | $2,305 | $1,699 | -26.3% |
| Genevieve Stoudt | $950 | $1,635 | 72.1% |
| J Edmund White Farm Trust | $0 | $1,521 | -- |
| Diverse Resource Investments, LLC | $1,255 | $1,255 | 0% |
| Marlin Bergey | $0 | $1,213 | -- |
| Robin J Amfahr | $1,164 | $1,164 | 0% |
| B and S Paradise Club | $1,140 | $1,140 | 0% |
| David B. Garges | $3,646 | $1,125 | -69.1% |
| Earl Studt Revocable Living Trust | $5,593 | $1,101 | -80.3% |
| Robert Slack | $0 | $1,090 | -- |
| Patricia Page Estate | $7,474 | $1,076 | -85.6% |
| Janet Nadya Younathan | $1,051 | $1,051 | 0% |
| James P. Haman | $0 | $1,045 | -- |
| Dushore Cabin, LLC | $0 | $1,024 | -- |
| Morris S. Cupp | $1,019 | $1,019 | 0% |
| Wild Rose Farms | $29,964 | $918 | -96.9% |
| Alice M. Long | $2,583 | $917 | -64.5% |
| David D. Landis | $213 | $878 | 312.2% |
| Mary Ziegler | $0 | $791 | -- |
| Mara L. Baird | $1,922 | $788 | -59% |
| Pasture Song Farm, LLC | $0 | $702 | -- |
| Paul T. Brower | $680 | $680 | 0% |
| Maple Acres Farm, LLC | $16,458 | $629 | -96.2% |
| Darrel E. Herbst Sr. | $1,960 | $625 | -68.1% |
| William L. Fry | $5,802 | $625 | -89.2% |
| Coleen Painter | $760 | $607 | -20.1% |
| Shanna Mccartney Vitullo | $3,234 | $598 | -81.5% |
| David K. Moyer | $805 | $545 | -32.3% |
| Larry P. Burghart | $504 | $504 | 0% |
| Sarahsway Breeding Farm, LLC | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Backyard Beans Coffee Company, LLC | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Mark Schmidt | $2,415 | $443 | -81.7% |
| Susan Fudala | $424 | $424 | 0% |
| Dale R. Weber | $387 | $387 | 0% |
| Nathan H. Rice | $0 | $366 | -- |
| George Miller | $810 | $317 | -60.9% |
| Michael P. Kohler | $292 | $292 | 0% |
| Michael Barnyock | $290 | $290 | 0% |
| Marianne P. Landis | $0 | $289 | -- |
| Francis Duhovis | $0 | $235 | -- |
| Jonathan D. Bade | $439 | $235 | -46.5% |
| Brian W. Abell | $231 | $231 | 0% |
| Jane a Prusso | $218 | $160 | -26.6% |
| Marianne Landis | $0 | $126 | -- |
| William Kott | $83 | $83 | 0% |
| Brian Diehl | $0 | $75 | -- |
| Betty Evans White | $0 | $69 | -- |
| James L. Yerger | $0 | $40 | -- |
| Tlush Family Farm | $0 | $13 | -- |
| Mark a Kesselmayer | $0 | $2 | -- |
| Debernardo & Son Landscaping Serv | $12,295 | $0 | -100% |
| Catherine L Cook Trust Agreement Dated April 28, 1989 | $3,104 | $0 | -100% |
| Elsie Buyers Viehman Revocable Trustee | $2,556 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger E. Johnson | $66 | $0 | -100% |
| EKHM Indiana, LLC | $711 | $0 | -100% |
| James Landis | $1,024 | $0 | -100% |
| Campo Rosso Farm | $20,896 | $0 | -100% |
| Jane S. Korey | $1,559 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin L. Godshall | $1,509 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert J. Smith | $1,559 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert S. Landis | $28 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra L. Wilson | $277 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary R. Hague | $6,226 | $0 | -100% |
| George Didden Greenhouses, Inc. | $945,322 | $0 | -100% |
| Bustards Christmas Trees II | $25,702 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward R Moore and Kathryn L Moor | $5,717 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald J. Neilson III | $6,194 | $0 | -100% |
| Margaret Kelly MacDonald | $4,352 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrew J. Gawrys | $557 | $0 | -100% |
| Kent E. High Jr. | $4,367 | $0 | -100% |
| Emma Cunniff | $7,844 | $0 | -100% |
| Pasture Song Farm | $30,341 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy Teeter | $134 | $0 | -100% |
| True Leaf Microgreens, LLC | $18,517 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald G. Grzywacz | $146 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrew D. Frankenfield | $2,464 | $0 | -100% |
| For Generations of III Holdings L | $5,600 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory A. Harth | $54 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey S. Harth | $54 | $0 | -100% |
| Alyssa Van Alstine | $2,062 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan K. Lehman | $26,319 | $0 | -100% |
| Edwin M. Leiby | $6,344 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara H. Richart | $1,380 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,918,799 | $565,695 | -70.5% |
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