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In 2021, 76 farmers in cities within Washington County received a total of $2 million in 143 farm subsidies, a 61.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.1 million in 333 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guy Clark III | $429,562 | $218,637 | -49.1% |
| Kenyon Hill Farm, LLC | $364,239 | $134,206 | -63.2% |
| Brotherhood Farms, L.L.C. | $305,254 | $128,833 | -57.8% |
| Reafield Farm, LLC | $204,116 | $127,051 | -37.8% |
| Twin Brooks Farm of Hartford, LLC | $172,361 | $123,204 | -28.5% |
| Ideal Dairy, LLC | $1,515,240 | $120,508 | -92% |
| Stewart Farm, LLC | $87,210 | $83,517 | -4.2% |
| Action Acres | $78,533 | $76,305 | -2.8% |
| Do View Farm, LLC | $95,210 | $67,138 | -29.5% |
| Weeping Birch Farm, LLC | $76,261 | $62,569 | -18% |
| Darfler Farm, LLC | $105,900 | $58,180 | -45.1% |
| Grimes Dairy Farm, LLC | $64,398 | $57,843 | -10.2% |
| Clark Family Crop Service, LLC | $109,504 | $57,653 | -47.4% |
| Easton Dairy | $91,359 | $54,685 | -40.1% |
| Albert W Marns | $99,761 | $50,464 | -49.4% |
| Donna M Marns | $99,687 | $50,428 | -49.4% |
| Skiff Farms, Inc. | $50,852 | $49,088 | -3.5% |
| Foot-Hill Farm, LLC | $50,032 | $43,987 | -12.1% |
| Hansen Farms, Inc. | $115,375 | $39,723 | -65.6% |
| Catherine H. Fedler | $53,904 | $30,498 | -43.4% |
| Hugh Fedler | $51,526 | $29,202 | -43.3% |
| Anuszewski Dairy | $37,019 | $26,192 | -29.2% |
| Kernel Acres, LLC | $75,836 | $24,311 | -67.9% |
| Donna H. English | $25,238 | $24,156 | -4.3% |
| Edward Rouse | $30,894 | $20,727 | -32.9% |
| Lindsay Farm, LLC | $20,569 | $20,436 | -0.6% |
| Andrew van Dewater | $0 | $20,134 | -- |
| Judith Lynn Baldwin | $0 | $12,819 | -- |
| Marchaland Farm | $47,038 | $12,279 | -73.9% |
| Philippa Wells Peters | $9,727 | $11,831 | 21.6% |
| Horton Farms | $28,928 | $10,171 | -64.8% |
| Robert S. Rowland | $9,878 | $7,409 | -25% |
| Jessica L. Rowland | $9,747 | $7,322 | -24.9% |
| Slate River Farms, LLC | $11,034 | $6,557 | -40.6% |
| Deborah W. Moore | $4,923 | $6,143 | 24.8% |
| Douglas G. Moore | $5,107 | $6,143 | 20.3% |
| Gary B. Moore | $4,922 | $6,143 | 24.8% |
| Janelle N. Moore | $4,922 | $6,143 | 24.8% |
| M & M Dixson Farms, Inc. | $17,003 | $5,882 | -65.4% |
| Tammy L. Thomas | $5,417 | $5,767 | 6.5% |
| Lloyd E. Thomas | $5,384 | $5,750 | 6.8% |
| Kathy a Eagle-Clark | $8,043 | $5,464 | -32.1% |
| William G. Briggs | $7,951 | $5,464 | -31.3% |
| John C. Reid | $22,788 | $4,497 | -80.3% |
| Ron Ford | $5,317 | $4,116 | -22.6% |
| Edward A. Hart III | $5,754 | $3,568 | -38% |
| Lisa Hart | $5,754 | $3,568 | -38% |
| Robertson Farm Feed, LLC | $3,029 | $3,346 | 10.5% |
| Ronald Billings | $2,494 | $2,919 | 17% |
| Maxwell Farms, LLC | $33,804 | $2,889 | -91.5% |
| Glenn Violette | $3,064 | $2,210 | -27.9% |
| Lawrence Bentley | $19,605 | $1,879 | -90.4% |
| Kate Morrow | $0 | $1,587 | -- |
| James W. O'Connor | $3,824 | $1,512 | -60.5% |
| Ward Family Trust | $1,694 | $1,284 | -24.2% |
| David Dedeo | $0 | $1,191 | -- |
| John A. Rieger | $1,177 | $1,177 | 0% |
| Wells Farms | $2,172 | $1,147 | -47.2% |
| Song and Dance Ranch | $6,382 | $1,020 | -84% |
| High Meadow Farm | $0 | $929 | -- |
| Joanne Booth | $4,809 | $894 | -81.4% |
| Wayne Foote | $3,562 | $851 | -76.1% |
| David D. Horn | $3,377 | $846 | -74.9% |
| Ronald S. McKernon | $4,933 | $815 | -83.5% |
| Hand Melon Farm, LLC | $64,369 | $695 | -98.9% |
| Kerry Woods | $0 | $602 | -- |
| William J. Elsworth | $3,658 | $592 | -83.8% |
| Jennifer Ward | $10,418 | $553 | -94.7% |
| Sanders Brothers | $1,782 | $519 | -70.9% |
| Donald J. English | $736 | $511 | -30.6% |
| Abdon J. Buckley | $1,922 | $454 | -76.4% |
| Glen S. Townsend Jr. | $2,352 | $450 | -80.9% |
| Hepatica Farm, LLC | $0 | $412 | -- |
| Onda Farm, LLC | $2,246 | $375 | -83.3% |
| Chapin Farms | $443 | $335 | -24.4% |
| Leona A. Read | $180 | $180 | 0% |
| Cambridge Corner Farm, LLC | $4,915 | $0 | -100% |
| John Ubaldo | $10,607 | $0 | -100% |
| B. J. Farms Partnership | $43,510 | $0 | -100% |
| Commodity Credit Corporation | $352 | $0 | -100% |
| Erin Luciani | $1,217 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency | $26,934 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $37,614 | $0 | -100% |
| John P. Ward | $110 | $0 | -100% |
| Justin Sievers | $2,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Karin Kennedy | $212 | $0 | -100% |
| Lilac Rain Farm, LLC | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Lisa E. Saunders | $962 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark and Suzanne Shumway | $3,495 | $0 | -100% |
| Marleen A. Nulty | $8,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Ramble Creek Farm, LLC | $10,436 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Thomas | $29 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert G. Davis | $6,808 | $0 | -100% |
| Spencer Truax | $2,890 | $0 | -100% |
| Usda Farm Service Agency | $6,688 | $0 | -100% |
| Wilburholm Farm | $436 | $0 | -100% |
| Crowley Acres, LLC | $100,239 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward A. Hart Jr. | $58 | $0 | -100% |
| Kuster Farm | $43,087 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,124,262 | $1,968,885 | -61.6% |
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