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In 2021, 97 farmers in cities within Potter County received a total of $976,041 in 137 farm subsidies, a 68.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.1 million in 224 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mundy Brook Farm | $271,892 | $163,937 | -39.7% |
| Carl B. Long | $272,814 | $108,209 | -60.3% |
| Kerry Dunn | $460,815 | $80,534 | -82.5% |
| Roger A. Dunn | $492,020 | $80,534 | -83.6% |
| Michael R. Risser | $150,882 | $76,515 | -49.3% |
| David Risser | $74,206 | $59,856 | -19.3% |
| Eugene Supplee | $85,329 | $50,194 | -41.2% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $35,537 | -- |
| James L. Currier | $26,334 | $30,364 | 15.3% |
| Thomas A. Davis | $24,729 | $17,849 | -27.8% |
| Hoffman Family Farm, LLC | $710,404 | $16,505 | -97.7% |
| Craig Torrey | $22,104 | $16,113 | -27.1% |
| Kevin D. Smoker | $31,241 | $15,167 | -51.5% |
| Valley View Land and Cattle, LLC | $17,245 | $15,056 | -12.7% |
| Daniel J. Gerhart | $0 | $14,907 | -- |
| Kurt Elliott | $14,124 | $14,124 | 0% |
| Master of Wood Services | $0 | $12,555 | -- |
| Dale R. Hoffman | $0 | $11,552 | -- |
| Iron Will Agent, LLC | $14,086 | $9,997 | -29% |
| Robert G. White II | $8,933 | $8,933 | 0% |
| Ryan S. Ruter | $29,156 | $8,462 | -71% |
| Judith E. Dickerson | $0 | $6,864 | -- |
| Kent Kenyon | $10,953 | $6,658 | -39.2% |
| Paul L. Snyder | $0 | $5,941 | -- |
| Kent L. Kenyon | $0 | $5,778 | -- |
| Julie D. Kosa | $12,348 | $5,139 | -58.4% |
| Stacy J. Ruter | $29,156 | $4,845 | -83.4% |
| The Willoughby Farm Partnership | $7,518 | $4,798 | -36.2% |
| Dwight M. Rose | $4,290 | $4,290 | 0% |
| Cindy O. Nelson | $4,092 | $4,092 | 0% |
| Duane L. Perkins | $3,953 | $3,953 | 0% |
| Marilyn L. Perkins | $3,953 | $3,953 | 0% |
| Arthur E. Metzger Jr. | $3,791 | $3,791 | 0% |
| Gerald Burch | $5,530 | $3,786 | -31.5% |
| Sarah E. Gilliland | $3,705 | $3,705 | 0% |
| James R. Collins | $3,662 | $3,662 | 0% |
| Sharon Wilson | $0 | $3,467 | -- |
| Ronald W. Silsby | $5,850 | $3,369 | -42.4% |
| Harley Ramsey | $2,864 | $2,202 | -23.1% |
| Maplehurst Farm | $0 | $2,101 | -- |
| Walter S. Petrick | $2,001 | $2,001 | 0% |
| Welda M Bell | $1,982 | $1,982 | 0% |
| Rance H. Baxter | $1,867 | $1,867 | 0% |
| Marcia L. Jones | $1,767 | $1,767 | 0% |
| Scott A. Easton | $6,965 | $1,625 | -76.7% |
| Michael Grimes | $5,654 | $1,581 | -72% |
| Philip E. Perkins Jr. | $1,514 | $1,514 | 0% |
| Joan L. Bradley | $245 | $1,492 | 509% |
| Lester W. Milstead | $1,442 | $1,442 | 0% |
| Arlie Holbert | $1,436 | $1,436 | 0% |
| Theresa Coyle | $2,970 | $1,297 | -56.3% |
| C & D Farms, Inc. | $1,252 | $1,252 | 0% |
| Michael E. Callahan | $1,211 | $1,211 | 0% |
| Lon L. Seitz | $1,168 | $1,168 | 0% |
| Dennis M. Lynch | $1,069 | $1,069 | 0% |
| John Traub | $63 | $1,066 | 1,592.1% |
| Elry Dunshie | $1,050 | $1,050 | 0% |
| Wilford Davis | $1,000 | $1,000 | 0% |
| Forest View Evergreen Tree Farms | $996 | $996 | 0% |
| Gregory Snowman | $967 | $967 | 0% |
| Jerome E. Sasala | $1,639 | $965 | -41.1% |
| Edward J. Fisher | $0 | $925 | -- |
| Joanne T Petrosewitz | $869 | $869 | 0% |
| Cory Carpenter | $864 | $864 | 0% |
| Robert F. Monroe | $819 | $819 | 0% |
| Michael Saulter | $22,658 | $807 | -96.4% |
| William Valora Jr. | $795 | $795 | 0% |
| Stewart D Gordnier | $786 | $786 | 0% |
| Wayne S. Erway | $2,365 | $750 | -68.3% |
| The Roadside, Inc. | $736 | $736 | 0% |
| Glenn D. Dunn | $0 | $650 | -- |
| Daniel W. Saulter | $3,821 | $626 | -83.6% |
| Christopher D. Landes | $618 | $618 | 0% |
| Dale & Jane Jackson Family Trust | $615 | $615 | 0% |
| William Worden | $814 | $610 | -25.1% |
| Raymond Young | $0 | $609 | -- |
| Alan R. Matz | $2,024 | $580 | -71.3% |
| Christopher Fink | $528 | $528 | 0% |
| Denver D. Drake | $37,689 | $520 | -98.6% |
| Larry Graham | $519 | $519 | 0% |
| Joshua Risser | $1,694 | $478 | -71.8% |
| Neal Goodenough | $455 | $455 | 0% |
| William Coyle | $0 | $393 | -- |
| Hugh B. Carpenter | $2,444 | $392 | -84% |
| Irvin Saler Jr. | $361 | $361 | 0% |
| Daniel E. Craft | $825 | $356 | -56.8% |
| Willard C. Boyd | $351 | $351 | 0% |
| Rhoda Lent | $2,948 | $330 | -88.8% |
| Vincent H. Goodreau | $310 | $310 | 0% |
| Larry Shutt | $0 | $268 | -- |
| Daniel Lutz | $194 | $194 | 0% |
| Wolf Oak Pastures, LLC | $1,627 | $186 | -88.6% |
| Charles J. Miller | $338 | $169 | -50% |
| Daniel F. Schoonover Jr. | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Jane Thompson | $0 | $127 | -- |
| Roy A. Thompson | $2,854 | $127 | -95.6% |
| William R. Leedy | $118 | $118 | 0% |
| Alvie O Fourness | $343 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara J. Easton | $6,291 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles M. Richardson | $4,033 | $0 | -100% |
| Edwin L. Thompson | $2,567 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $19,305 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary A. Sturdevant | $874 | $0 | -100% |
| Glenn Dunn II | $2,572 | $0 | -100% |
| Irish Farms | $832 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan L. Blass | $5,334 | $0 | -100% |
| Justin J. Foster | $1,131 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth L. Rogers | $3,334 | $0 | -100% |
| Leon Tice | $2,611 | $0 | -100% |
| Maplehurst Farm, Inc. | $2,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Margaret Wright | $3,467 | $0 | -100% |
| Max Greeley & Sons | $10,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Nina Boden | $1,089 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul J. Phelps Jr. | $1,454 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul Snyder | $5,941 | $0 | -100% |
| Sean Batterson | $2,144 | $0 | -100% |
| Silconas Farms | $18,680 | $0 | -100% |
| Terry Saulter | $430 | $0 | -100% |
| Cutler Summit Farms, LLC | $4,348 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale J. Steadman | $849 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas D. Hamilton | $14,473 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold A. Torok | $15,518 | $0 | -100% |
| Helen J. Turner | $4,336 | $0 | -100% |
| James D. Ziegler | $192 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard S. Jones | $693 | $0 | -100% |
| Wilma Freeman | $714 | $0 | -100% |
| Judy E. Dickerson | $6,864 | $0 | -100% |
| Marsha L. Prince | $235 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert J. Wildner | $3,464 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,083,652 | $976,041 | -68.3% |
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