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In 2021, 136 farmers in cities within Armstrong County received a total of $1.6 million in 281 farm subsidies, a 36.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.4 million in 500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayholm Farms, LLC | $414,097 | $208,864 | -49.6% |
| Shan-Mar Jerseys, LLC | $212,288 | $137,345 | -35.3% |
| Robert P. Lockhart | $126,871 | $101,620 | -19.9% |
| Tim Claypoole | $118,427 | $82,869 | -30% |
| Ross C. Grooms | $58,003 | $75,841 | 30.8% |
| Roger A. Freehling | $42,885 | $73,341 | 71% |
| Ridgeview Farms | $77,078 | $49,674 | -35.6% |
| Alexander D. Claypoole | $47,015 | $49,013 | 4.2% |
| Nicole C. Claypoole | $47,014 | $49,013 | 4.3% |
| Samuel W. Montgomery Jr. | $66,473 | $46,870 | -29.5% |
| Campbell Run Farms | $76,540 | $46,789 | -38.9% |
| Mathew J. Hogg | $17,848 | $39,857 | 123.3% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $37,945 | -- |
| Donald J. Houser | $29,435 | $32,742 | 11.2% |
| Reefer Farms | $57,782 | $29,378 | -49.2% |
| Claypoole Farms Limited Partnership | $0 | $27,946 | -- |
| Roger Baker | $20,088 | $26,154 | 30.2% |
| John Bennett | $13,523 | $25,680 | 89.9% |
| Boarts Farm | $68,440 | $24,366 | -64.4% |
| R & J Bowser Brothers | $23,719 | $23,934 | 0.9% |
| Jerry L. Claypool | $26,227 | $20,859 | -20.5% |
| Fred Mattilio | $27,469 | $18,504 | -32.6% |
| Terry R. Arner | $9,449 | $18,405 | 94.8% |
| Stubrick Farm, LLC | $38,303 | $14,866 | -61.2% |
| Alan Summerhill | $17,221 | $14,473 | -16% |
| Chris E. Heilman | $29,788 | $10,890 | -63.4% |
| Goldstrohm Farms, LLC | $24,210 | $10,528 | -56.5% |
| Roger Freehling Jr. | $680 | $10,089 | 1,383.7% |
| Lara S Wilson-Shields | $16,271 | $9,448 | -41.9% |
| John F. K. Bowman | $23,302 | $9,266 | -60.2% |
| Brent Fennell | $20,370 | $9,251 | -54.6% |
| Larry Martin | $8,756 | $8,756 | 0% |
| Donald Everhart | $28,810 | $8,515 | -70.4% |
| Henry Miller and Sons | $7,899 | $8,328 | 5.4% |
| Jerry D. Toy | $13,796 | $7,436 | -46.1% |
| Mr. Todd Alan Culp | $12,199 | $6,161 | -49.5% |
| James D. Goldinger | $5,893 | $5,845 | -0.8% |
| Green Acres Farm | $5,368 | $5,721 | 6.6% |
| Larry Ferringer | $5,425 | $5,425 | 0% |
| Stephen B. Maul | $5,420 | $5,420 | 0% |
| Robert C. Culp | $27,294 | $4,935 | -81.9% |
| Ronald G. McIntire | $11,117 | $4,761 | -57.2% |
| Gary K Wiester | $4,735 | $4,735 | 0% |
| Bernard Martin | $4,555 | $4,555 | 0% |
| William L. Heilman | $4,336 | $4,413 | 1.8% |
| Richard A. Brocious | $15,112 | $4,385 | -71% |
| Dennis E. Stockdale | $23,652 | $4,121 | -82.6% |
| Greg Martin Long | $6,913 | $4,117 | -40.4% |
| Jace William Myers | $3,202 | $4,084 | 27.5% |
| Ron E Kriess JR | $17,479 | $3,944 | -77.4% |
| Thomas L. Burke | $10,697 | $3,898 | -63.6% |
| Ronald V. Coleman | $4,566 | $3,881 | -15% |
| Edward O. Huston II | $5,440 | $3,863 | -29% |
| Betty A. Wright | $22,186 | $3,813 | -82.8% |
| George Reesman IV | $10,814 | $3,775 | -65.1% |
| Dutch Hollow Farm FLP | $3,462 | $3,462 | 0% |
| Barbara A. Good | $3,368 | $3,368 | 0% |
| Dennis Warcholak | $3,271 | $3,271 | 0% |
| Jason Renshaw | $10,184 | $2,537 | -75.1% |
| Dale Robert Harris | $2,177 | $2,447 | 12.4% |
| Marvin A. Goldberg | $1,589 | $2,398 | 50.9% |
| Gary Bussard | $4,800 | $2,350 | -51% |
| Martin L. Wilhelm | $2,321 | $2,112 | -9% |
| Alan W. Basar | $6,974 | $2,102 | -69.9% |
| Pounds Turkey Farm, LLC | $47,014 | $1,987 | -95.8% |
| Joseph L. Hanz | $1,959 | $1,959 | 0% |
| Candace S. Burke | $0 | $1,939 | -- |
| Edward M. Hopper | $9,047 | $1,928 | -78.7% |
| Jeffrey McKinley | $5,184 | $1,913 | -63.1% |
| Lindsays Buffalo Creek Farms, LLC | $7,906 | $1,902 | -75.9% |
| John Shirley | $1,857 | $1,900 | 2.3% |
| Robert McIntire | $1,946 | $1,877 | -3.5% |
| Northmoreland Farms LP | $2,078 | $1,784 | -14.1% |
| Olliver Services, LLC | $2,624 | $1,720 | -34.5% |
| Allen K. Mansfield | $1,681 | $1,681 | 0% |
| Richard McNulty | $1,622 | $1,622 | 0% |
| Todd L. Cornish | $7,518 | $1,583 | -78.9% |
| Randall J. Burke | $10,636 | $1,520 | -85.7% |
| Barbara Allison | $1,486 | $1,517 | 2.1% |
| Steven N. Schrecengost | $7,485 | $1,515 | -79.8% |
| Scott L. Morrison | $4,917 | $1,510 | -69.3% |
| Thomas L. Huff | $13,188 | $1,427 | -89.2% |
| Glade Run Angus, LLC | $1,338 | $1,338 | 0% |
| Richard Smith | $1,330 | $1,330 | 0% |
| Ronald E. Bowser | $200 | $1,322 | 561% |
| Shields Dairy Farm, LLC | $3,983 | $1,230 | -69.1% |
| Joshua Winslow | $7,584 | $1,212 | -84% |
| Big Horn Industries, LLC | $4,981 | $1,199 | -75.9% |
| Larry Slease | $2,489 | $1,183 | -52.5% |
| Heather Harkleroad | $5,363 | $1,175 | -78.1% |
| James Troutman | $1,155 | $1,155 | 0% |
| Thomas C. Edwards | $2,952 | $1,088 | -63.1% |
| James Robert Barrett | $2,661 | $1,065 | -60% |
| Ronald a Ruffaner | $2,324 | $977 | -58% |
| Joshua T. Miklos | $0 | $972 | -- |
| John C. Heilman | $4,485 | $928 | -79.3% |
| Russell Ray Barrett | $1,668 | $898 | -46.2% |
| Robert W. Walker | $3,964 | $886 | -77.6% |
| Joseph Kasanicky | $9,652 | $831 | -91.4% |
| Robert Woodside | $1,861 | $807 | -56.6% |
| Michael Buskey | $1,834 | $770 | -58% |
| Merle G. Slee | $4,088 | $765 | -81.3% |
| Ronald Baker | $2,069 | $762 | -63.2% |
| James W. McKenzie | $755 | $755 | 0% |
| Richard M. Anthony | $3,876 | $682 | -82.4% |
| James Ellenberger | $2,809 | $673 | -76% |
| David C. King | $1,320 | $657 | -50.2% |
| Ron Freehling | $1,681 | $629 | -62.6% |
| Donald J. Hepler | $2,672 | $607 | -77.3% |
| Gary Glenn Bell | $2,420 | $574 | -76.3% |
| Bonita M. Grafton | $536 | $536 | 0% |
| James H. Grafton | $536 | $536 | 0% |
| Edwin Morrison | $1,270 | $526 | -58.6% |
| William Smeltzer | $1,478 | $493 | -66.6% |
| John Hollabaugh | $493 | $493 | 0% |
| Franklin J. Vigo | $2,722 | $449 | -83.5% |
| Raymond M. Buterbaugh Jr. | $2,722 | $428 | -84.3% |
| Thomas J. Anthony | $4,403 | $428 | -90.3% |
| Timothy R. Rosenberger | $3,931 | $423 | -89.2% |
| Luann G. Eckman | $420 | $420 | 0% |
| Joshua R. Walker | $1,375 | $403 | -70.7% |
| David S. Coulter | $2,119 | $358 | -83.1% |
| Jason R. Barnett | $1,446 | $344 | -76.2% |
| Galen Bowser | $2,125 | $294 | -86.2% |
| Ronald N. Kaufman | $154 | $286 | 85.7% |
| Sarah G. Kaufman | $154 | $286 | 85.7% |
| Justin Sheasley | $1,670 | $263 | -84.3% |
| Daniel Lynch | $1,274 | $262 | -79.4% |
| William F. Hollenbaugh | $279 | $190 | -31.9% |
| Cowanshannock Creek Watershed | $188 | $188 | 0% |
| Mary S. Spath | $6,365 | $180 | -97.2% |
| Glenn Rugh Woodside Jr. | $0 | $111 | -- |
| Christopher L. Gross | $209 | $76 | -63.6% |
| Harvey Hostetler | $35,425 | $35 | -99.9% |
| Jerry F. Longwell | $138 | $13 | -90.6% |
| Delbert Highlands | $8 | $8 | 0% |
| J Darren Papaila | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy W. Hileman | $17,143 | $0 | -100% |
| Zachary A. Beam | $291 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin David Himes | $495 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce W. George | $4,685 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald E. Blose | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeff Watterson | $401 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeremiah George | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| John C. Ellenberger Jr. | $201 | $0 | -100% |
| Kent S. Patterson | $341 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald P. Biesinger | $555 | $0 | -100% |
| Quay K. Cornish | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald O. Lauster | $4,372 | $0 | -100% |
| Travis Myers | $1,215 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin R. Morrison | $150 | $0 | -100% |
| Rick Baker | $12,050 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $14,519 | $0 | -100% |
| Nathan Crawford | $2,888 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul Wolfe | $110 | $0 | -100% |
| Barrett Family Farms, Inc. | $12,721 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Chester Boyer | $2,403 | $0 | -100% |
| Claypoole Farms Limited Partnersh | $23,420 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry John Smith | $363 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald J. Ishman | $224 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,438,180 | $1,550,537 | -36.4% |
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