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In 2021, 97 farmers in cities within Montour County received a total of $1 million in 178 farm subsidies, a 58.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.5 million in 291 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian J. Hummer | $3,836 | $85,409 | 2,126.5% |
| Denis W. Beachel | $100,856 | $78,044 | -22.6% |
| Ray Kremer | $149,049 | $75,776 | -49.2% |
| Michael R. Shultz | $93,266 | $62,571 | -32.9% |
| Pine Hurst Acres Lp | $184,045 | $57,697 | -68.7% |
| David J. Jackson | $24,917 | $46,307 | 85.8% |
| Jay Wissler | $88,776 | $41,022 | -53.8% |
| Gary Aurand | $37,629 | $35,850 | -4.7% |
| Ronald R. Beyer | $58,607 | $35,559 | -39.3% |
| Twin Hollow's Farm, LLC | $29,250 | $29,836 | 2% |
| Don Cotner Farms Lp | $138,406 | $27,843 | -79.9% |
| Martz Farms | $23,061 | $23,061 | 0% |
| Jones Family Farms Partnership | $118,412 | $22,929 | -80.6% |
| Hartman Farms, LLC | $25,488 | $22,019 | -13.6% |
| Albert Dean Heebner | $0 | $21,125 | -- |
| Jay Stine | $3,082 | $20,916 | 578.7% |
| Gary Bennett | $18,473 | $18,473 | 0% |
| Barry Durlin | $15,560 | $17,025 | 9.4% |
| Zimmerman's Hilltop Dairy, Inc. | $279,755 | $15,620 | -94.4% |
| Joel W. Rine | $14,319 | $15,602 | 9% |
| KT Fletcher Farms, LLC | $19,591 | $15,495 | -20.9% |
| Robert L. Bergenstock | $14,013 | $14,013 | 0% |
| Roy P. Ulrich Jr. | $16,965 | $13,492 | -20.5% |
| Orville V. Shultz | $356 | $12,432 | 3,392.1% |
| Wertz Bros | $32,483 | $12,082 | -62.8% |
| Brian J Tworkoski | $37,012 | $11,659 | -68.5% |
| George Farms | $32,794 | $11,530 | -64.8% |
| Michael Frederick Schultz | $11,223 | $11,223 | 0% |
| D & D Shultz Farm, LLC | $23,231 | $10,380 | -55.3% |
| Kuziak Enterprises | $9,790 | $9,790 | 0% |
| William L. Hackenberg | $11,322 | $9,454 | -16.5% |
| Chris S. Biddle | $1,257 | $9,249 | 635.8% |
| Roberta J. Sidler | $8,335 | $8,335 | 0% |
| Kae Slocum, Inc. | $9,157 | $8,102 | -11.5% |
| Dennis L. Blue | $8,425 | $8,078 | -4.1% |
| Clewell Precision Machine, Inc. | $0 | $7,108 | -- |
| Donald G. Bordner | $14,656 | $7,087 | -51.6% |
| Richard E. Jones | $5,582 | $5,571 | -0.2% |
| CKN Farms, LLC | $4,260 | $4,420 | 3.8% |
| Mark D. Woodruff | $5,840 | $4,299 | -26.4% |
| Neil Jenkins | $6,946 | $4,130 | -40.5% |
| George J. Sauers | $4,080 | $4,078 | -0% |
| Neil E. Hess | $5,105 | $3,981 | -22% |
| Edward L. Savidge | $10,207 | $3,925 | -61.5% |
| Randall R. Kitchen | $10,297 | $3,786 | -63.2% |
| Howard H. Fenstemaker | $1,269 | $3,766 | 196.8% |
| Gregory Thompson | $3,240 | $3,240 | 0% |
| Paul Bogart | $7,749 | $3,194 | -58.8% |
| John C. Clark III | $5,548 | $3,112 | -43.9% |
| Michael D. Wilson | $0 | $2,917 | -- |
| Gordon Roup | $9,236 | $2,681 | -71% |
| Jill D. Bogart | $4,415 | $2,540 | -42.5% |
| Shane R. Betz | $5,762 | $2,393 | -58.5% |
| James D. Steckley Jr. | $0 | $2,330 | -- |
| William E Reinaker | $2,301 | $2,301 | 0% |
| Keith D. Hilkert | $2,381 | $2,263 | -5% |
| Thomas Geise | $2,173 | $2,173 | 0% |
| Marlin E. Tanner | $2,082 | $2,082 | 0% |
| Larry Flora | $2,992 | $1,918 | -35.9% |
| Lacey Sue Floyd | $4,248 | $1,815 | -57.3% |
| David M. Litchard | $2,150 | $1,734 | -19.3% |
| Jonathan A. Rine | $4,901 | $1,724 | -64.8% |
| Joseph R. Glowaski | $5,163 | $1,720 | -66.7% |
| Andrew D. Heebner | $9,341 | $1,627 | -82.6% |
| James P. Moser | $1,559 | $1,559 | 0% |
| Mary L. Carbaugh | $1,516 | $1,516 | 0% |
| Nancy J. Mausteller | $1,463 | $1,463 | 0% |
| Ross Beyer | $2,314 | $1,439 | -37.8% |
| Roger Wintersteen | $231 | $1,419 | 514.3% |
| Richard L. Radel | $1,286 | $1,286 | 0% |
| Keith T. Fletcher Sr. | $1,263 | $1,263 | 0% |
| William D. Bausch | $1,183 | $1,183 | 0% |
| Marilyn G. Landis | $1,143 | $1,143 | 0% |
| Robert L. Reed | $1,933 | $1,118 | -42.2% |
| Gary L. Derr | $4,369 | $1,032 | -76.4% |
| Marie E Minnich | $997 | $997 | 0% |
| Barry M. Bower | $821 | $821 | 0% |
| Richard E. Ayers | $1,097 | $820 | -25.3% |
| Robert B. Hendrickson | $707 | $707 | 0% |
| Dennis B. Bower | $674 | $674 | 0% |
| Larry Randler | $644 | $644 | 0% |
| Kevin Williams | $942 | $598 | -36.5% |
| North Montour Sportsman | $595 | $595 | 0% |
| Ryan A. McWilliams | $1,023 | $532 | -48% |
| Esther A. Leighow | $0 | $375 | -- |
| Carl L. Flora | $326 | $323 | -0.9% |
| Alice W. Shultz | $303 | $303 | 0% |
| Richard L. Divers II | $294 | $294 | 0% |
| Duane Shultz | $281 | $281 | 0% |
| Perry L. Vandine | $0 | $174 | -- |
| Susan J. Stolz | $0 | $174 | -- |
| Wealthy Shutt | $0 | $166 | -- |
| Chestnut Grove Acres Realty, LLC | $138 | $138 | 0% |
| Alan Jacobson | $280 | $133 | -52.5% |
| Zane R. Martin | $1,559 | $58 | -96.3% |
| Scott A. Sponenberg | $0 | $42 | -- |
| Janet I. McAfee | $35 | $35 | 0% |
| Dean A. Heebner | $19,810 | $0 | -100% |
| Alice Durlin | $3,178 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce K. Miller | $1,241 | $0 | -100% |
| Cotner Farms, Inc. | $415,172 | $0 | -100% |
| David B. Keener | $661 | $0 | -100% |
| Frederick Jones | $457 | $0 | -100% |
| Frederick W. Stephens | $1,589 | $0 | -100% |
| Fredrick W. Stephens | $5,615 | $0 | -100% |
| Iron Hill Farms | $862 | $0 | -100% |
| Jean I. Rine | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Lanny L. Lee | $5,267 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin Funk | $1,068 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary L Lapos | $9,604 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Steck | $4,125 | $0 | -100% |
| Maurice S. Geary | $1,491 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael F. Schultz | $2,337 | $0 | -100% |
| Norma E. Reed | $247 | $0 | -100% |
| Norman Jones Jr. | $195 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul St A. Clair | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Phyllis A. Fenstemaker | $841 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond A. Klingler | $8,876 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth H. Fetterolf | $154 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas E Pryslak | $1,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Lakeville Specialty Produce Company I | $201,169 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,500,285 | $1,035,218 | -58.6% |
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