Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 35 farmers in cities within Greene County received a total of $130,467 in 43 farm subsidies, an 80.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $671,859 in 118 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William A. Cree | $69,479 | $37,992 | -45.3% |
| George W. Seaman Jr. | $127,657 | $30,375 | -76.2% |
| Dirk Tedrow | $24,607 | $5,594 | -77.3% |
| Deborah Metheny | $0 | $5,352 | -- |
| Bethlehem Farms, Inc. | $11,164 | $5,156 | -53.8% |
| Cantoni Farms Lp | $9,830 | $5,125 | -47.9% |
| Carl M. Biddle | $30,150 | $4,631 | -84.6% |
| Robert A. Harry | $4,435 | $4,041 | -8.9% |
| James A. Cowell Jr. | $16,846 | $3,517 | -79.1% |
| Mark Kesner | $0 | $3,355 | -- |
| Rhonda Crawford | $14,770 | $3,200 | -78.3% |
| Charles Harry | $3,117 | $3,117 | 0% |
| Ethan Virgili | $12,012 | $2,396 | -80.1% |
| William V. Milesky | $7,425 | $2,110 | -71.6% |
| Suzanne Trueblood | $1,733 | $1,733 | 0% |
| Mark Barto | $1,694 | $1,694 | 0% |
| Douglas B. Cumpston | $6,732 | $1,214 | -82% |
| Sandra Headlee | $6,534 | $1,064 | -83.7% |
| Joseph J. McNaney | $1,042 | $1,042 | 0% |
| Patsy R. Morrow | $3,766 | $986 | -73.8% |
| Laurel Run Farm, LLC | $5,393 | $916 | -83% |
| Edward Michalik | $4,749 | $866 | -81.8% |
| Emil R Enoff JR | $2,277 | $595 | -73.9% |
| Kevin White | $1,419 | $592 | -58.3% |
| K Kevin Kendralla | $1,872 | $540 | -71.2% |
| Robert J. Simpson | $2,530 | $524 | -79.3% |
| Thomas Brookover | $2,907 | $439 | -84.9% |
| Phillip M. Judy | $1,743 | $399 | -77.1% |
| Willow Tree Dairy | $1,691 | $382 | -77.4% |
| Ralph C. Adamson | $8,080 | $378 | -95.3% |
| Douglas L. Willis | $864 | $302 | -65% |
| Joseph N. Headlee II | $302 | $302 | 0% |
| Michelle Grogan | $0 | $263 | -- |
| Michael McCauley | $1,018 | $138 | -86.4% |
| Gregory S. Kime | $839 | $137 | -83.7% |
| Darren Crouse | $999 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy J. Kerr | $2,629 | $0 | -100% |
| John E. Howard | $2,090 | $0 | -100% |
| William D. Renner | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Lowell T. Maley | $420 | $0 | -100% |
| Patricia A. Campbell | $5,148 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony A. Barone | $1,579 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl Graham | $3,629 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles F. Morris | $2,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Clinton Butcher | $7,645 | $0 | -100% |
| Elysian Fields Farms, Inc. | $229,040 | $0 | -100% |
| Emeric R Kalsey | $138 | $0 | -100% |
| Holbert J. White Jr. | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| James L. Maley | $420 | $0 | -100% |
| John M. Vandruff | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Kimberly M. Eisiminger | $2,415 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurence B. Hall | $9,943 | $0 | -100% |
| Lewis C. Fox | $550 | $0 | -100% |
| Lippencott Alpacas, LLC | $1,288 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Mawhinney | $2,726 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard L. Patton | $2,724 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald William Golden | $2,869 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Michael Duke | $1,980 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $671,859 | $130,467 | -80.6% |
Alerts Sign-up