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In 2021, 50 farmers in cities within Lewis County received a total of $1.8 million in 87 farm subsidies, a 52.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.8 million in 251 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancor Holsteins | $521,039 | $241,016 | -53.7% |
| Murcrest Farms, LLC | $925,724 | $176,317 | -81% |
| Walter and Doris Kennell | $167,552 | $137,815 | -17.7% |
| Moserdale Dairy, LLC | $520,116 | $134,541 | -74.1% |
| Michael A. Kraeger | $120,513 | $125,937 | 4.5% |
| Peter T. Jones | $92,860 | $94,322 | 1.6% |
| Ronald S. Hebert | $59,524 | $65,783 | 10.5% |
| Anthony J. Paluck | $68,392 | $57,985 | -15.2% |
| Bruce R. Freeman | $48,340 | $57,670 | 19.3% |
| Vaughn Moser | $45,058 | $51,775 | 14.9% |
| Andrew T. Flansburg | $72,094 | $50,829 | -29.5% |
| Carl A. Hoppel | $48,435 | $48,152 | -0.6% |
| Heather M. Abbott | $45,399 | $47,972 | 5.7% |
| Bruce E. Hartzler | $49,747 | $47,518 | -4.5% |
| Andrew T. Schantz | $46,706 | $46,267 | -0.9% |
| Daniel R Humphrey Logging, Inc. | $0 | $36,824 | -- |
| Thomas Joseph Hill | $0 | $36,211 | -- |
| Nathan J. Yousey | $50,377 | $36,210 | -28.1% |
| Curtis Lehman | $0 | $34,157 | -- |
| Sullivan Farm | $56,227 | $25,870 | -54% |
| Dennis Knoblauch | $21,452 | $25,065 | 16.8% |
| Larry J. Kloster | $15,065 | $24,021 | 59.4% |
| Forest City Farm | $18,470 | $22,369 | 21.1% |
| Bridget M Sweredoski | $22,424 | $20,339 | -9.3% |
| Peter Sweredoski | $22,776 | $20,339 | -10.7% |
| Vanalstine Logging, LLC | $0 | $20,213 | -- |
| Lynn M. Nuffer Sr. | $21,642 | $20,048 | -7.4% |
| Avis Honer | $5,998 | $16,571 | 176.3% |
| Kenneth A. Powis | $0 | $15,940 | -- |
| The Estate of Joseph R. Sullivan, SR | $0 | $15,180 | -- |
| John P. Cavanaugh | $17,748 | $13,472 | -24.1% |
| Stanley J Morczek | $17,125 | $13,260 | -22.6% |
| Sally Jean Hill | $18,727 | $10,346 | -44.8% |
| Valerie N Morczek | $11,447 | $8,841 | -22.8% |
| Markham Harvesting | $20,550 | $8,577 | -58.3% |
| Village View Farm, LLC | $71,834 | $7,970 | -88.9% |
| Douglas Carlson | $4,867 | $4,867 | 0% |
| Andrew D. Moser | $4,692 | $2,823 | -39.8% |
| Francis M. Smithling | $4,262 | $2,656 | -37.7% |
| Joshua Rhone | $0 | $2,502 | -- |
| Darrell Seymour | $1,324 | $1,667 | 25.9% |
| Delvin R. Lehman | $47,013 | $1,535 | -96.7% |
| Paul Widrick | $35,697 | $974 | -97.3% |
| Michael F Cihocki | $16,641 | $698 | -95.8% |
| William Alfred Aganier | $4,108 | $524 | -87.2% |
| Cortney K Markham | $0 | $475 | -- |
| Stanley L. Zehr | $9,832 | $348 | -96.5% |
| Duane G Sykes /Sykes' Maple Products | $0 | $325 | -- |
| Brian Wohnsiedler | $769 | $212 | -72.4% |
| Richard Hoskins Jr. | $447 | $14 | -96.9% |
| Dale Hall | $17,938 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry J Walseman II | $36,617 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew C. Hoppel | $24,088 | $0 | -100% |
| Melynda S. Hoppel | $23,941 | $0 | -100% |
| Myron M. Roggie | $31,394 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca Millard | $3,269 | $0 | -100% |
| Rob-Cin Farms, LLC | $3,761 | $0 | -100% |
| The Estate of Joseph R. Sullivan | $7,664 | $0 | -100% |
| Carroll Farms, LLC | $1,253 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Snyder | $126 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale J. Bowen | $1,603 | $0 | -100% |
| Dean E. Moser | $37,555 | $0 | -100% |
| Doris Kennell | $120,752 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Freeman | $43,112 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Snyder | $1,119 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhonda Petrus | $570 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert H. Sullivan | $785 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen C. Eisel | $6,446 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter J. Kennell | $127,066 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian Schrodt | $1,135 | $0 | -100% |
| Duane G. Sykes | $1,887 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene L Mealus | $1,605 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen Pierce | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Kelly Avallone | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,847,429 | $1,835,342 | -52.3% |
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