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In 2021, 199 farmers in cities within Columbia County received a total of $1.9 million in 342 farm subsidies, a 57.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4.5 million in 526 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Columbia County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Campbell Farms | $996,407 | $318,823 | -68% |
| Faihopity Farms Limited Parternship | $0 | $164,732 | -- |
| Hemsarth Dairy, LLC | $165,206 | $104,143 | -37% |
| Robbins Farms, Inc. | $153,773 | $83,965 | -45.4% |
| Carl Slater Jr. | $96,510 | $71,888 | -25.5% |
| Bowman D. J. Farms | $279,419 | $69,406 | -75.2% |
| Posey's Nursery and Tree Farm, LLC | $0 | $50,327 | -- |
| Carl T. Shaffer | $106,041 | $45,227 | -57.3% |
| Adam J. Sonnen | $51,231 | $39,173 | -23.5% |
| Janice M. Jurbala | $41,651 | $33,223 | -20.2% |
| William Hess Farms, LLC | $69,274 | $32,036 | -53.8% |
| Rhoads Brothers Farm | $86,559 | $31,643 | -63.4% |
| Richard D. Shuman | $72,964 | $29,380 | -59.7% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $28,278 | -- |
| Rosalie Zaginaylo | $37,581 | $25,767 | -31.4% |
| Stephen C. Kistler | $18,235 | $24,542 | 34.6% |
| Richard J Ezzyk | $27,720 | $24,054 | -13.2% |
| Heritage Acres | $0 | $23,351 | -- |
| Judy M. Billig | $23,934 | $22,857 | -4.5% |
| Kurt A. Michael | $21,846 | $22,042 | 0.9% |
| Roger L. Derr | $80,766 | $19,080 | -76.4% |
| James E. Bowman | $54,991 | $17,823 | -67.6% |
| Jacquelyn J. Hack | $0 | $16,438 | -- |
| Artman Farms | $38,626 | $15,666 | -59.4% |
| Kemmerer Farms, LLC | $519,081 | $15,554 | -97% |
| Frank Titman | $14,920 | $15,017 | 0.7% |
| Lyons Den Dairy | $66,754 | $14,264 | -78.6% |
| Dale G. Moore | $0 | $13,894 | -- |
| Dancrest Farms, LLC | $12,561 | $13,628 | 8.5% |
| OHF Orchards, LLC | $49,757 | $13,254 | -73.4% |
| Kenneth P. Carlson | $13,293 | $13,163 | -1% |
| Dennis Zehner | $30,491 | $12,602 | -58.7% |
| Kirk N. Lehman | $32,279 | $12,505 | -61.3% |
| Keith Bissinger | $48,416 | $12,409 | -74.4% |
| Dennis C. Wolff | $18,257 | $12,300 | -32.6% |
| Johnson Farms | $30,900 | $11,104 | -64.1% |
| Jonathan Gene Robbins | $0 | $10,533 | -- |
| Duane E. Shuman | $26,124 | $10,451 | -60% |
| Larry A. Rhoads | $35,967 | $10,035 | -72.1% |
| Lois M. Wilson | $9,912 | $9,912 | 0% |
| Gary W. Gardner | $10,364 | $9,598 | -7.4% |
| Doyle Smethers Jr. | $21,245 | $9,248 | -56.5% |
| Barbara Laubach | $31,029 | $9,246 | -70.2% |
| Jeffery W. Shultz | $14,593 | $9,140 | -37.4% |
| Edward L Allbeck | $22,709 | $8,913 | -60.8% |
| Raymond A. Klingler | $0 | $8,876 | -- |
| Jason T. Wenner | $0 | $8,454 | -- |
| Torre R. Boudman | $8,746 | $8,051 | -7.9% |
| Williams Forestry & Associates | $0 | $7,647 | -- |
| Seesholtz Bros, Inc. | $35,666 | $7,460 | -79.1% |
| Thomas F. Davison | $22,256 | $7,200 | -67.6% |
| John Zaginaylo III | $10,603 | $6,946 | -34.5% |
| Joseph E Vicena | $6,885 | $6,885 | 0% |
| Diana N. Lehr | $6,883 | $6,883 | 0% |
| Christopher Michael Kalie | $0 | $6,844 | -- |
| Randy A. Hack | $14,638 | $6,739 | -54% |
| John C Michael and Jeannine B Michael Irrevocable | $0 | $6,696 | -- |
| Rodger T. Bunnell | $6,295 | $6,295 | 0% |
| Scott D. Bartholomew | $16,707 | $6,143 | -63.2% |
| Square Knot Farm, LLC | $1,815 | $5,935 | 227% |
| Jill M Deihl Estate | $0 | $5,737 | -- |
| George A. Johnson | $7,206 | $5,663 | -21.4% |
| Anne S. Everett | $5,590 | $5,590 | 0% |
| Mary L. Moore | $5,098 | $5,098 | 0% |
| Robert D. Bender | $0 | $5,090 | -- |
| Robert J. Kalie | $682 | $5,048 | 640.2% |
| James H. Kline | $4,853 | $4,853 | 0% |
| Joann V. Propst | $4,780 | $4,780 | 0% |
| Austin C. Leftwich | $4,682 | $4,682 | 0% |
| Debbie L. Wilson | $4,484 | $4,484 | 0% |
| Dorothy L. Yost | $0 | $4,394 | -- |
| Elizabeth R. Kocher | $4,376 | $4,376 | 0% |
| Dana Hemsarth | $6,986 | $4,346 | -37.8% |
| Elvena L Michael | $4,206 | $4,206 | 0% |
| Hunter Mckay Blass | $27,196 | $4,147 | -84.8% |
| Don Edwards Farm, LLC | $7,057 | $4,127 | -41.5% |
| Jarrett Clifford Miller | $7,821 | $3,975 | -49.2% |
| David K. Derr | $12,102 | $3,939 | -67.5% |
| John S. Kline Jr. | $3,786 | $3,872 | 2.3% |
| Wanda Sheatler | $3,849 | $3,849 | 0% |
| Gary N. Young | $3,713 | $3,713 | 0% |
| Phillip L. Resseguie | $3,670 | $3,670 | 0% |
| Pleasant View Farm | $9,060 | $3,530 | -61% |
| The Cornell Family Irrevocable Trust | $0 | $3,525 | -- |
| Aaron D. Young | $5,961 | $3,423 | -42.6% |
| Sunny Hills Farm | $9,348 | $3,377 | -63.9% |
| Gotta-Gro Farms | $7,302 | $3,309 | -54.7% |
| Edward Lawrence | $3,276 | $3,276 | 0% |
| David T. Walsh | $3,180 | $3,180 | 0% |
| Richard C. Faux | $3,163 | $3,163 | 0% |
| Trudy J. Faux | $3,163 | $3,163 | 0% |
| F Larry Allbeck | $3,472 | $3,107 | -10.5% |
| Donald C. Whitenight Jr. | $6,755 | $3,102 | -54.1% |
| Robert N. Watts Jr. | $2,989 | $2,989 | 0% |
| Frederick T. Gordner | $2,946 | $2,978 | 1.1% |
| James A. Bolinsky | $3,192 | $2,974 | -6.8% |
| Kessler's Orchard | $20,164 | $2,962 | -85.3% |
| Kenneth Bond | $7,566 | $2,949 | -61% |
| Cody J. Bowman | $6,168 | $2,935 | -52.4% |
| Samuel F. Robbins | $6,774 | $2,934 | -56.7% |
| Joseph A. Steiner | $2,827 | $2,827 | 0% |
| Paula Weatherill | $7,139 | $2,775 | -61.1% |
| Joseph S Yonick | $2,679 | $2,679 | 0% |
| Donald Titman | $3,401 | $2,672 | -21.4% |
| Joseph Mazaika | $2,633 | $2,633 | 0% |
| Gerald J. Zeisloft | $3,555 | $2,528 | -28.9% |
| Eugene Crossley | $6,371 | $2,455 | -61.5% |
| Joshua James Shuman | $5,419 | $2,414 | -55.5% |
| E. Darlene Martenas Estate | $1,662 | $2,313 | 39.2% |
| Clyde Bartholomew Jr. | $5,349 | $2,285 | -57.3% |
| Marilyn Matash | $2,955 | $2,258 | -23.6% |
| Valley Garden Farms | $5,880 | $2,234 | -62% |
| Saundra K. Vincent | $2,225 | $2,225 | 0% |
| Cynthia S. McBryan | $2,222 | $2,222 | 0% |
| William D. Robbins | $2,193 | $2,193 | 0% |
| Clyde M. Thomas | $2,147 | $2,147 | 0% |
| Robert L. Woolcock | $3,497 | $2,089 | -40.3% |
| Guy E. Thomas | $2,084 | $2,084 | 0% |
| Kevin W. Miller | $2,991 | $2,037 | -31.9% |
| Nelson M. Dent | $27,914 | $1,980 | -92.9% |
| Alex D Vezendy | $1,947 | $1,947 | 0% |
| David A. Gardner | $0 | $1,915 | -- |
| Caleb James Swartz | $3,899 | $1,900 | -51.3% |
| Avery Farms | $2,328 | $1,858 | -20.2% |
| Wayne Wintersteen | $2,361 | $1,839 | -22.1% |
| Shane T. Parr | $2,580 | $1,800 | -30.2% |
| Jeffrey Alan Whitenight | $0 | $1,786 | -- |
| Robert C. Beishline | $2,123 | $1,751 | -17.5% |
| Fritz Farms | $1,734 | $1,734 | 0% |
| Douglas D. Yarnell | $5,252 | $1,731 | -67% |
| Ralph Stewart Ackerman III | $4,697 | $1,720 | -63.4% |
| Michael L. Miller | $1,706 | $1,706 | 0% |
| Chuck Aaron Allbeck | $0 | $1,702 | -- |
| Kevin H Allbeck | $0 | $1,682 | -- |
| Joseph A. Farr | $1,225 | $1,636 | 33.6% |
| George J. Kline | $1,631 | $1,631 | 0% |
| Rodney P. Breisch | $2,048 | $1,600 | -21.9% |
| Sherry L. Whitenight | $0 | $1,580 | -- |
| Donald C. Harding | $7,731 | $1,505 | -80.5% |
| Mossy Hoof Farm | $1,500 | $1,500 | 0% |
| Kevin Bissinger | $5,430 | $1,498 | -72.4% |
| John H. Beck Jr. | $1,516 | $1,496 | -1.3% |
| Barbara A. Shaffer | $4,522 | $1,355 | -70% |
| John Grajewski | $1,295 | $1,295 | 0% |
| Shawn M. Fester | $1,228 | $1,228 | 0% |
| Robert D. Klinger III | $0 | $1,209 | -- |
| Sandi Hock | $3,915 | $1,201 | -69.3% |
| Aaron R. Davison | $4,008 | $1,136 | -71.7% |
| John J. Natt | $1,135 | $1,135 | 0% |
| John J. Fleck | $3,856 | $1,041 | -73% |
| Lori E Yaple-Diltz | $1,034 | $1,034 | 0% |
| Jay H. Leighow | $964 | $964 | 0% |
| Barry L. Nolt | $920 | $920 | 0% |
| Kenneth W. Foust | $0 | $913 | -- |
| Joshua Mark Greene | $4,331 | $896 | -79.3% |
| Ralph Stewart Ackerman Jr. | $0 | $873 | -- |
| Shirley C. Fester | $799 | $799 | 0% |
| Steven D. Fester | $787 | $787 | 0% |
| Kris R. Ribble | $734 | $735 | 0.1% |
| Melinda J. Book | $0 | $667 | -- |
| Jeffrey J. Winn | $661 | $661 | 0% |
| Jane M. Haladay | $0 | $636 | -- |
| Ryan D Knelly | $589 | $589 | 0% |
| Helen R. Cleaver | $481 | $538 | 11.9% |
| Jason R. Seward | $471 | $471 | 0% |
| Warren Miller | $886 | $467 | -47.3% |
| Jeffrey A. Breisch | $464 | $464 | 0% |
| Dustin C. Snyder | $459 | $459 | 0% |
| David Malcein | $489 | $438 | -10.4% |
| Linda J. Resseguie | $0 | $437 | -- |
| Carol C. Fitzgerald | $424 | $424 | 0% |
| John D. Gensemer | $406 | $406 | 0% |
| David P. Cotner | $999 | $397 | -60.3% |
| Kenneth Shaffer | $631 | $389 | -38.4% |
| David W. Dysart | $382 | $382 | 0% |
| Timothy James Miknich JR | $0 | $372 | -- |
| James Tunaitis | $608 | $356 | -41.4% |
| Spring Meadows Farm, LLC | $661 | $352 | -46.7% |
| John A. Hughes | $1,316 | $350 | -73.4% |
| Patricia A. Trump | $653 | $338 | -48.2% |
| Sheldon E. Fester | $310 | $310 | 0% |
| John E. Schatz Jr. | $0 | $231 | -- |
| Lynn R. Robbins | $217 | $217 | 0% |
| Charles L. Hess | $214 | $212 | -0.9% |
| Levi A. Brown | $210 | $210 | 0% |
| Bradley M. Wenner | $0 | $178 | -- |
| William T. Barbee | $681 | $172 | -74.7% |
| Timothy A. Carr | $169 | $169 | 0% |
| Sheryl Rae Stevana Davison | $1,509 | $160 | -89.4% |
| Brett Ulsamer | $0 | $154 | -- |
| Kevin Karnes | $124 | $124 | 0% |
| Bee Cellar Hunting Club, Inc. | $115 | $115 | 0% |
| William F. Lutz | $90 | $90 | 0% |
| Paden Enterprise, Inc. | $0 | $83 | -- |
| Connie Faus | $1,551 | $83 | -94.6% |
| Robert D. Davidson | $68 | $68 | 0% |
| David C. Nichols | $65 | $65 | 0% |
| Allen S. Gardner | $984 | $56 | -94.3% |
| Earl Dietterick | $525 | $29 | -94.5% |
| Berlin's Greenhouses, LLC | $48,875 | $0 | -100% |
| Bradley M. Wenner | $3,399 | $0 | -100% |
| Erdman's Tree Nursery & Company | $9,853 | $0 | -100% |
| Faihopity Farms Limited Parternsh | $316,365 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond H. Goldsworthy | $18 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert J. Stola | $138 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency | $13,388 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $10,725 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene a & David S Robbins | $4,171 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey a Bellum | $4,426 | $0 | -100% |
| John C Michael and Jeannine B Mic | $4,490 | $0 | -100% |
| Kurian Fisheries, LLC | $39,144 | $0 | -100% |
| Marty R. Miller | $1,990 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul C. Schatz | $1,620 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond J Sobolesky II | $7,229 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond R. Haladay | $2,023 | $0 | -100% |
| Stewart Ackerman Jr. | $870 | $0 | -100% |
| Susan J. Snyder | $180 | $0 | -100% |
| Ten Mile Mushrooms, LLC | $5,475 | $0 | -100% |
| The Cornell Family Irrevocable Trustee | $3,525 | $0 | -100% |
| Zachery A. Derr | $461 | $0 | -100% |
| Chuck Aaron Allbeck | $4,333 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald G. Temple | $301 | $0 | -100% |
| Cortnee Williams | $916 | $0 | -100% |
| Estate of E Darlene Martenas | $1,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey A. Whitenight | $10,458 | $0 | -100% |
| Jill M. Deihl | $5,737 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Resseguie Executor | $244 | $0 | -100% |
| Marlin L. Sitler | $4,810 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert B Van Houten | $58,399 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles A. Farver | $39 | $0 | -100% |
| Marion Welliver | $3,292 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven J. Danilowicz | $288 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $4,548,559 | $1,938,610 | -57.4% |
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