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In 2021, 87 farmers in cities within Otsego County received a total of $1.6 million in 170 farm subsidies, a 41.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.8 million in 370 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemlock Valley Farm, LLC | $463,313 | $324,792 | -29.9% |
| Woodlawn Dairy Farm, LLC | $221,723 | $126,031 | -43.2% |
| Valley Hill Dairy, LLC | $148,125 | $111,104 | -25% |
| Joleanna Holsteins, LLC | $133,192 | $100,582 | -24.5% |
| Roedale Farm, LLC | $112,481 | $65,057 | -42.2% |
| Pamela Tyler Woodrow | $74,528 | $59,438 | -20.2% |
| Harold I. Scott | $63,924 | $56,193 | -12.1% |
| Paul and Sarah Rohrbaugh | $62,410 | $50,450 | -19.2% |
| Mabie Farm | $0 | $41,371 | -- |
| Weiss Farms | $60,463 | $40,710 | -32.7% |
| G&T Farm, LLC | $97,591 | $38,149 | -60.9% |
| Kathy Susan Aker | $0 | $36,995 | -- |
| Mark Dulkis | $36,860 | $34,244 | -7.1% |
| Roger J. Smith | $42,268 | $32,248 | -23.7% |
| Roger Erway | $15,844 | $29,057 | 83.4% |
| Millers Organic Dairy, LLC | $33,357 | $26,408 | -20.8% |
| John J. Bartl III | $16,066 | $25,008 | 55.7% |
| Donald Oldick | $25,235 | $24,670 | -2.2% |
| Salvatore Licata | $28,687 | $23,920 | -16.6% |
| Ricky G. Bouchard | $25,430 | $22,260 | -12.5% |
| Carol Kennedy | $15,987 | $21,999 | 37.6% |
| James Vickerson Jr. | $10,901 | $18,950 | 73.8% |
| William F Frone | $0 | $17,843 | -- |
| Lentsville Farm, LLC | $27,990 | $15,788 | -43.6% |
| Steven Kubis | $0 | $15,773 | -- |
| Heather Teachout | $12,411 | $14,711 | 18.5% |
| Dream Weaver Farm, LLC | $0 | $14,629 | -- |
| Edward Peplinski | $14,709 | $13,560 | -7.8% |
| Andrew Sloan | $12,374 | $12,925 | 4.5% |
| Aaron J. Sloan | $12,304 | $12,910 | 4.9% |
| Rex A. Seamon | $17,491 | $11,966 | -31.6% |
| Alan B. Carpenter Jr. | $0 | $11,897 | -- |
| Jeffrey Darling | $15,332 | $11,481 | -25.1% |
| Paula Darling | $15,377 | $11,481 | -25.3% |
| Kristi L. Hartman | $10,408 | $11,257 | 8.2% |
| Dawn M. Seamon | $13,149 | $10,954 | -16.7% |
| Larry Kukenberger | $10,659 | $9,389 | -11.9% |
| Paul Naujeck | $23,688 | $9,374 | -60.4% |
| Eric Shields | $0 | $8,564 | -- |
| Winkler Family Crops & Stock, Inc. | $0 | $7,977 | -- |
| Nathan G. Aker | $9,428 | $7,927 | -15.9% |
| Floyd Dubben JR | $45,134 | $6,907 | -84.7% |
| Chris Harmon | $0 | $6,751 | -- |
| David Ingalls | $0 | $6,659 | -- |
| Ronald Sadlon | $18,905 | $5,753 | -69.6% |
| Eklund Farms, Inc. | $5,621 | $5,621 | 0% |
| Andrew Beach | $0 | $4,681 | -- |
| Ringwood Farms, LLC | $5,566 | $4,522 | -18.8% |
| John Sheldrick | $11,460 | $4,467 | -61% |
| Bee Line Farm | $10,391 | $3,332 | -67.9% |
| Steven Collier | $3,667 | $3,015 | -17.8% |
| Amanda Rottingen | $2,178 | $2,862 | 31.4% |
| David L. Grant | $26,770 | $2,842 | -89.4% |
| Shirley M. Keene | $4,794 | $2,397 | -50% |
| William Weinert | $32,600 | $2,391 | -92.7% |
| Raymond Lewis | $2,286 | $2,286 | 0% |
| Hyder Creek Farm, LLC | $0 | $2,190 | -- |
| Eric Nickol | $3,254 | $2,048 | -37.1% |
| Jessica L. Nickol | $3,153 | $2,048 | -35% |
| Jordan Mabie | $48,878 | $1,944 | -96% |
| Todd Rider | $1,913 | $1,913 | 0% |
| Weingates Farm, LLC | $6,217 | $1,909 | -69.3% |
| Amy L Proskine | $0 | $1,831 | -- |
| Edward J. Bishop | $6,241 | $1,759 | -71.8% |
| Christopher L. Seamon | $1,483 | $1,677 | 13.1% |
| Richard Koppenaal | $1,670 | $1,670 | 0% |
| Gary & Jerome Lull | $4,107 | $1,449 | -64.7% |
| Lee Roy Seamon | $4,367 | $1,386 | -68.3% |
| James a Miccioli | $7,093 | $1,302 | -81.6% |
| Robert Mellott | $22,353 | $1,173 | -94.8% |
| Ronald Peplinski | $574 | $1,148 | 100% |
| Judd-Howland Cattle, LLC | $4,269 | $1,002 | -76.5% |
| Desiree V. Pichardo | $798 | $798 | 0% |
| David Ray Aker | $0 | $766 | -- |
| Thomas Deboer | $0 | $746 | -- |
| James E. Bartlett | $725 | $725 | 0% |
| Mark Packer | $41,648 | $712 | -98.3% |
| Amanda Larrabee | $1,023 | $607 | -40.7% |
| Marcia A. Membrino | $550 | $550 | 0% |
| Gerald Ruestow | $664 | $532 | -19.9% |
| Gordon E. Hoke | $497 | $497 | 0% |
| Bryan Birdsall | $1,408 | $484 | -65.6% |
| Steve Purcell | $465 | $465 | 0% |
| Michael R. Ross | $392 | $392 | 0% |
| Michael F. Deboer | $650 | $300 | -53.8% |
| Richard J. Elsaesser Jr. | $1,941 | $194 | -90% |
| Gregory Ortensi | $4,110 | $182 | -95.6% |
| Carol S. Walker | $83 | $0 | -100% |
| Charlie Augur | $50,209 | $0 | -100% |
| Clifford Brunner | $236 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Hallahan | $8,720 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $48,354 | $0 | -100% |
| Olin Hart III | $1,843 | $0 | -100% |
| RJC Land Trust | $237 | $0 | -100% |
| Rock Spring Farm, LLC | $278 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen A. More | $557 | $0 | -100% |
| Steve Kubis | $12,570 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith A. Klingman | $164 | $0 | -100% |
| Locust Farm | $311 | $0 | -100% |
| William B. Musson | $3,607 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Gantner | $394 | $0 | -100% |
| Kristina M. Shields | $346 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Dohner | $380 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith D Aldrich | $145 | $0 | -100% |
| Adam Mitchell | $1,887 | $0 | -100% |
| Allan Jason Pullis | $1,703 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher G. Boss | $1,693 | $0 | -100% |
| Dream Weaver Farm | $5,324 | $0 | -100% |
| Merry Hill Dairy, LLC | $284,952 | $0 | -100% |
| Neil G. Fisher | $7,335 | $0 | -100% |
| Ovaltop Holsteins, LLC | $54,470 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Yoder | $21,424 | $0 | -100% |
| Ted S. Fox | $531 | $0 | -100% |
| Everett Yerdon | $247 | $0 | -100% |
| David R. Aker | $1,131 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald Butts | $234 | $0 | -100% |
| John Sears | $312 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathy S. Aker | $31,636 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul S. Rohrbaugh | $1,569 | $0 | -100% |
| Sarah L. Rohrbaugh | $1,569 | $0 | -100% |
| William Butzke | $1,129 | $0 | -100% |
| Cindy Greenblatt | $589 | $0 | -100% |
| Dwayne R. Scott | $15,135 | $0 | -100% |
| Henry Greenblatt | $589 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeanette Hinkley | $62 | $0 | -100% |
| Ms. Hannah L. Crognale | $11,802 | $0 | -100% |
| Paula Holowacz-Decker | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,799,092 | $1,638,927 | -41.4% |
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