Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 135 farmers in cities within Juniata County received a total of $2.1 million in 300 farm subsidies, a 57.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5 million in 504 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reinford Farms, Inc. | $663,282 | $180,636 | -72.8% |
| Zugstead Farm, Inc. | $593,735 | $147,430 | -75.2% |
| Kurtz Valley Holsteins, LLC | $0 | $120,508 | -- |
| Hart Brothers | $222,693 | $120,407 | -45.9% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $94,073 | -- |
| Henry-Acres Holsteins, LLC | $184,358 | $84,221 | -54.3% |
| Joel D. Mills | $77,839 | $70,146 | -9.9% |
| Donald C. Everitt Jr. | $99,895 | $54,617 | -45.3% |
| Matthew P. Graybill | $61,041 | $53,074 | -13.1% |
| Spigelmyer Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| David G. Graybill | $66,240 | $51,578 | -22.1% |
| T&T Logging, LLC | $0 | $50,628 | -- |
| R E Shearer & Sons | $57,923 | $50,328 | -13.1% |
| Scott J. Landis | $71,882 | $41,671 | -42% |
| Frederick M. Shoop | $42,237 | $39,795 | -5.8% |
| Jordan K. Horst | $2,149 | $39,579 | 1,741.7% |
| Marlin F. Charlton | $36,219 | $38,435 | 6.1% |
| Peoples Dairy Farm | $138,214 | $34,955 | -74.7% |
| Peoples Dairy Farm -Milk Only, Inc. | $0 | $33,770 | -- |
| Craig D. Finkbiner | $31,990 | $32,343 | 1.1% |
| Brian David Bashore | $12,339 | $30,070 | 143.7% |
| Thomas H. Hoover | $36,650 | $29,869 | -18.5% |
| Swartz Family Farm, LLC | $36,972 | $27,407 | -25.9% |
| Keith R. Moyer | $31,136 | $26,767 | -14% |
| Will-Mae Acres | $62,462 | $26,716 | -57.2% |
| Peoples Dairy Farm, Inc. | $0 | $24,932 | -- |
| Robert W. Rutt | $1,556 | $21,581 | 1,287% |
| Groninger Farms, LLP | $20,231 | $19,440 | -3.9% |
| Joseph W. Deihl | $19,061 | $19,061 | 0% |
| Jon R. Hart | $39,488 | $18,185 | -53.9% |
| Craig Baillie Jr. | $24,337 | $17,561 | -27.8% |
| Bryan D. Imes | $40,752 | $15,968 | -60.8% |
| James A. Kauffman III | $15,158 | $15,795 | 4.2% |
| Myron E. Gehman | $318,851 | $14,770 | -95.4% |
| John L. van Horn | $10,174 | $13,296 | 30.7% |
| K & L Farms, LLC | $33,569 | $13,188 | -60.7% |
| Andrew B. Swartz | $35,236 | $12,802 | -63.7% |
| Thomas R. Rhine | $36,072 | $12,730 | -64.7% |
| AR-Les Town View Farm | $12,430 | $12,480 | 0.4% |
| Licking Creek Valley Farms, LLC | $214,338 | $12,183 | -94.3% |
| Valley View Poultry Farms, Inc. | $43,597 | $12,177 | -72.1% |
| Sharon G. Lilley | $14,255 | $11,407 | -20% |
| Kelvin L. Martin | $107,912 | $10,945 | -89.9% |
| Double B Grain Farm, Inc. | $26,086 | $10,757 | -58.8% |
| Brubaker Crystal Spring Farm | $7,271 | $10,478 | 44.1% |
| Michael W. Beaver | $23,270 | $10,305 | -55.7% |
| Valley View Grain, LLC | $20,187 | $10,180 | -49.6% |
| Steven J Donough | $13,123 | $8,893 | -32.2% |
| Charles L. Hackenberger | $9,181 | $8,463 | -7.8% |
| Andrew S. Wert | $8,437 | $8,437 | 0% |
| Happy Hollow Dairy, LLC | $21,213 | $8,379 | -60.5% |
| Blair M. Dysinger | $5,073 | $8,296 | 63.5% |
| Timothy E. Lauver | $5,186 | $8,108 | 56.3% |
| Russell C Adamire JR | $17,112 | $7,629 | -55.4% |
| Andrew B. Swartz | $0 | $7,535 | -- |
| David C. Henry | $6,049 | $7,124 | 17.8% |
| Double R Associates | $7,098 | $7,098 | 0% |
| James D. Wagner | $13,433 | $6,858 | -48.9% |
| Dale A. Haldeman | $11,806 | $6,841 | -42.1% |
| Homestead Farming, Inc. | $12,759 | $6,755 | -47.1% |
| Frederick S. Benner | $20,324 | $6,429 | -68.4% |
| Wade H Cleck | $15,404 | $5,874 | -61.9% |
| Gary L Cleck | $7,744 | $5,085 | -34.3% |
| Eugene L. Yohn | $12,013 | $5,030 | -58.1% |
| Cody L. Martin | $38,445 | $4,874 | -87.3% |
| Benjamin C. Diem | $4,820 | $4,820 | 0% |
| Arthur K. Esh | $15,275 | $4,752 | -68.9% |
| Samuel G. Kint | $4,846 | $4,348 | -10.3% |
| Brett R. Wagner | $5,831 | $4,116 | -29.4% |
| Kent E. Maben | $53,097 | $4,064 | -92.3% |
| Steven L. Yoder | $34,166 | $3,850 | -88.7% |
| Matthew van Horn | $7,345 | $3,827 | -47.9% |
| Glenn W. Lehman | $6,846 | $3,767 | -45% |
| Brian E. Towsey | $6,692 | $3,545 | -47% |
| David L. Martin | $17,007 | $3,537 | -79.2% |
| Walter Dobozynski JR | $3,805 | $3,531 | -7.2% |
| Carroll A. Curtis | $3,491 | $3,491 | 0% |
| Evan R. Saylor | $0 | $3,401 | -- |
| Gregory C. Imes | $2,928 | $2,854 | -2.5% |
| Norman R. Zook Jr. | $4,026 | $2,469 | -38.7% |
| Roger L. Shallenberger | $2,410 | $2,410 | 0% |
| Gerald R. Robinson | $3,037 | $2,317 | -23.7% |
| Hackenberger Family Farm, LLC | $1,222 | $2,218 | 81.5% |
| Daryl L. Hackenberger | $2,188 | $2,188 | 0% |
| Edwin L. Neidig | $2,150 | $2,150 | 0% |
| Donald R. Weaver | $5,861 | $2,113 | -63.9% |
| Ridgeview Angus, LLC | $8,283 | $2,068 | -75% |
| Richard J. Watts | $2,046 | $2,046 | 0% |
| Michael S. Baillie | $3,561 | $2,027 | -43.1% |
| Richard K. Deen | $8,029 | $2,019 | -74.9% |
| Harold E. Powell Jr. | $3,880 | $1,940 | -50% |
| Christopher E. Yohn | $4,549 | $1,935 | -57.5% |
| Ray D. Geissinger | $1,988 | $1,801 | -9.4% |
| Janette K. Gentry | $1,738 | $1,738 | 0% |
| Sandra J. Miller | $1,738 | $1,738 | 0% |
| Jeffrey D. Pontius | $5,163 | $1,657 | -67.9% |
| David S. Stetler | $1,660 | $1,649 | -0.7% |
| Daryl Reiff | $41,324 | $1,575 | -96.2% |
| Joseph J. Beitz | $1,565 | $1,565 | 0% |
| Larry L. Long | $1,546 | $1,546 | 0% |
| Roger L. Varner | $314 | $1,350 | 329.9% |
| David C. Dysinger | $1,307 | $1,307 | 0% |
| Donald J. mc Clure | $3,697 | $1,291 | -65.1% |
| Steven R. Hoffman | $3,828 | $1,277 | -66.6% |
| Kenny L. Keeney | $45,848 | $1,136 | -97.5% |
| Lowell M. Shearer | $868 | $868 | 0% |
| Steven R. Berry | $3,262 | $842 | -74.2% |
| Craig A. Walton | $5,594 | $800 | -85.7% |
| Kenrick Farm, GP | $973 | $725 | -25.5% |
| Jordan C. Yoder | $703 | $703 | 0% |
| Reynolds E. Shearer | $699 | $699 | 0% |
| Nicholas A. Smith | $1,471 | $694 | -52.8% |
| Scott D Hackenberger Use, LLC | $0 | $693 | -- |
| Kevin A. Baillie | $1,186 | $677 | -42.9% |
| Daniel R. Smith | $1,610 | $611 | -62% |
| Robert D. Hower | $587 | $587 | 0% |
| Charles O. Houser | $581 | $581 | 0% |
| Russell P. Fry | $4,097 | $572 | -86% |
| Oxbow Farm, LLC | $572 | $474 | -17.1% |
| Mark A. Amig | $423 | $423 | 0% |
| Timothy A. Sundy | $715 | $423 | -40.8% |
| Nicholas Trego | $387 | $387 | 0% |
| Robert Kreider Jr. | $665 | $341 | -48.7% |
| Gary L. Varner | $1,221 | $328 | -73.1% |
| Ivan Charles Diem Jr. | $324 | $324 | 0% |
| Darryl C. Trego | $9,281 | $270 | -97.1% |
| Jason L. Snyder | $2,375 | $244 | -89.7% |
| Anthony C. Willis | $238 | $238 | 0% |
| David L. Imes | $191 | $220 | 15.2% |
| Norma M. Frymoyer | $76 | $154 | 102.6% |
| Miller Brothers Farm, LLC | $23,968 | $153 | -99.4% |
| Meecee M Baker | $363 | $104 | -71.3% |
| Michael R. Cupp | $1,035 | $99 | -90.4% |
| Gregory G. Dowling | $621 | $14 | -97.7% |
| Glenn K. Carper | $717 | $12 | -98.3% |
| John O. Frymoyer | $76 | $0 | -100% |
| Lazy Hog Farm, Inc. | $515,263 | $0 | -100% |
| Brent M. Auker | $101 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel C. Auker | $2,563 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency | $1,084 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $174,869 | $0 | -100% |
| Jesse L. Diem | $2,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert E. Kratzer Jr. | $1,418 | $0 | -100% |
| Shawn M. Delancey | $1,191 | $0 | -100% |
| Village Acres Farm & Foodshed, LLC | $11,183 | $0 | -100% |
| Glen R. Henry | $405 | $0 | -100% |
| Jade Family Farm | $12,919 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph R. Shearer | $2,268 | $0 | -100% |
| Joy Mensah-Dzomley | $135 | $0 | -100% |
| Leland E. Eberly | $18,148 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael L. Lilley | $1,458 | $0 | -100% |
| Nathan J. Schlegel | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl W. Reed | $295 | $0 | -100% |
| Don L. Benner | $4,674 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth M. Beatty | $1,871 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott D. Hackenberger | $496 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,965,596 | $2,094,520 | -57.8% |
Alerts Sign-up