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In 2021, 99 farmers in cities within Clarion County received a total of $654,371 in 169 farm subsidies, a 43.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.2 million in 320 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Ridge Farms | $128,591 | $79,027 | -38.5% |
| Vern E. Over Jr. | $87,062 | $64,044 | -26.4% |
| KTH, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Gary J. Alcorn | $68,878 | $50,829 | -26.2% |
| John D Mcelroy/Donald R Mcelroy | $95,954 | $46,364 | -51.7% |
| Todd D. McHenry | $34,546 | $26,862 | -22.2% |
| Bostonia Farms, LLC | $20,484 | $26,298 | 28.4% |
| Burns Farms, Inc. | $12,518 | $22,415 | 79.1% |
| Kyle M. Minich | $14,364 | $19,930 | 38.7% |
| Brent R. Elmer | $42,581 | $17,520 | -58.9% |
| Scott J. Bowser | $72,500 | $16,830 | -76.8% |
| Robert E. Smith | $17,546 | $16,512 | -5.9% |
| Terry E. Shaffer | $22,306 | $15,487 | -30.6% |
| D&R Henry Farms, LLC | $24,042 | $11,916 | -50.4% |
| Spurgeon R. Shilling | $8,282 | $8,282 | 0% |
| Randon G. Smith | $14,619 | $7,542 | -48.4% |
| Keaton J. Stants | $3,078 | $7,366 | 139.3% |
| Mark Boyer | $7,305 | $7,305 | 0% |
| George Family Trust | $8,114 | $6,434 | -20.7% |
| Dean R. Kepple | $18,860 | $6,121 | -67.5% |
| Patricia E. Bell | $0 | $6,013 | -- |
| Leisure Run Farm | $5,988 | $5,988 | 0% |
| Dee Bell | $5,888 | $5,888 | 0% |
| Browns Pine Glen Farms | $15,750 | $5,872 | -62.7% |
| Lex Brown | $5,222 | $5,222 | 0% |
| Richard Crissman | $8,180 | $5,099 | -37.7% |
| Judith A. Wingard | $5,067 | $5,067 | 0% |
| Crissman Farms | $9,939 | $5,012 | -49.6% |
| Louella A. Neiswonger | $14,741 | $4,991 | -66.1% |
| Robert Lis | $4,528 | $4,528 | 0% |
| Robert R. McKay | $2,696 | $4,278 | 58.7% |
| Thomas L. Steiner | $4,209 | $4,209 | 0% |
| Eugene W. Smith | $9,189 | $4,198 | -54.3% |
| Jeffrey C. Patrick | $13,474 | $4,115 | -69.5% |
| Todd Rupp | $3,600 | $3,600 | 0% |
| Michel M. Pence | $2,993 | $2,993 | 0% |
| Zacherl Farms | $25,952 | $2,987 | -88.5% |
| Procious Farms | $6,899 | $2,978 | -56.8% |
| Gerald L. Champion | $9,538 | $2,946 | -69.1% |
| Arthur Forrest | $9,570 | $2,936 | -69.3% |
| Richard E. Forrest | $2,932 | $2,932 | 0% |
| William L. Traister | $9,268 | $2,808 | -69.7% |
| Henry Beichner | $19,748 | $2,661 | -86.5% |
| James C. Henry | $14,815 | $2,554 | -82.8% |
| Jeff Carlson | $2,460 | $2,460 | 0% |
| Brian Shilling | $2,454 | $2,454 | 0% |
| Mark Chester Boyer | $0 | $2,403 | -- |
| Jerrie D. Weiser | $2,028 | $2,028 | 0% |
| Duane Harriger | $1,926 | $1,926 | 0% |
| Kord Marshall Rankin | $4,736 | $1,722 | -63.6% |
| Jerry Shoemaker Jr. | $4,651 | $1,648 | -64.6% |
| Barry Downs | $1,492 | $1,492 | 0% |
| Steven L. Reichard | $6,513 | $1,450 | -77.7% |
| Wayne Truitt | $19,022 | $1,434 | -92.5% |
| Joseph A. Alese Jr. | $5,438 | $1,366 | -74.9% |
| Steven D. Greenawalt | $5,421 | $1,299 | -76% |
| Philip A. Spencer | $5,167 | $1,288 | -75.1% |
| Beth Wingard | $4,235 | $1,184 | -72% |
| Brian Griebel | $11,558 | $1,176 | -89.8% |
| Bradys Bend Corporation | $1,295 | $1,147 | -11.4% |
| Roy E. Zeigler | $5,248 | $1,117 | -78.7% |
| Allen Beichner Sr. | $1,677 | $971 | -42.1% |
| Henry P Lencer | $2,939 | $866 | -70.5% |
| Michael Harriger | $844 | $844 | 0% |
| Ray A. Beichner | $1,008 | $819 | -18.8% |
| George McLaughlin | $6,233 | $813 | -87% |
| Jason Beichner | $800 | $800 | 0% |
| Cory Theiss | $3,336 | $794 | -76.2% |
| Mary Lee Desantis | $4,092 | $789 | -80.7% |
| Joseph L. Little | $784 | $784 | 0% |
| Robert D. George | $938 | $765 | -18.4% |
| Stu Hoffman | $2,651 | $636 | -76% |
| QUACE | $3,878 | $615 | -84.1% |
| Brent Saylor | $0 | $605 | -- |
| Stacy Weeter | $6,152 | $604 | -90.2% |
| Melvin Kapp | $3,071 | $580 | -81.1% |
| Genereaux Farm, Inc. | $2,623 | $558 | -78.7% |
| Donald A. Nair | $2,221 | $538 | -75.8% |
| Stacy Hoffman | $464 | $464 | 0% |
| Mark Grazioli | $0 | $385 | -- |
| Matthew Smith | $356 | $356 | 0% |
| William J. Kapp | $1,698 | $327 | -80.7% |
| Thomas Terwilliger | $325 | $325 | 0% |
| John T. Bowersox | $306 | $306 | 0% |
| Roy Edwin Zeigler Jr. | $1,430 | $297 | -79.2% |
| Aurie D Weaver | $294 | $294 | 0% |
| Dennis C. Myers | $692 | $291 | -57.9% |
| James Walker | $4,783 | $254 | -94.7% |
| Bradley Gould | $663 | $236 | -64.4% |
| William Stewart | $115 | $230 | 100% |
| Traci Champion | $0 | $207 | -- |
| Roger Mohney | $129 | $129 | 0% |
| Kenneth F. Boyles | $0 | $99 | -- |
| Richard F. McDonald | $384 | $93 | -75.8% |
| Tyler Fraser | $422 | $86 | -79.6% |
| Darrin E. Flick | $174 | $77 | -55.7% |
| Wallace E. Rupp | $356 | $60 | -83.1% |
| Michael E. Beary | $1,320 | $45 | -96.6% |
| Walter W. Robertson | $1,430 | $1 | -99.9% |
| George R. Kepple | $1,475 | $0 | -100% |
| Dewayne George | $1,888 | $0 | -100% |
| Georgann Kovacovsky | $369 | $0 | -100% |
| Marlene George | $757 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Crissman | $189 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert E. Bowersox | $194 | $0 | -100% |
| WHO Cooks for YOU Farm | $52,756 | $0 | -100% |
| William Shrecengost | $1,582 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel P. George | $785 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald E. Cooper | $311 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara A. Wedekind | $2,828 | $0 | -100% |
| John Gruber III | $47,435 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray D. Fetzer | $140 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,164,757 | $654,371 | -43.8% |
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