Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 121 farmers in cities within Somerset County received a total of $1.1 million in 226 farm subsidies, a 62.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3 million in 446 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Valley Farms | $223,946 | $123,657 | -44.8% |
| Hunsberger Farm, LLC | $102,894 | $92,360 | -10.2% |
| David H. Gnagey | $127,019 | $76,322 | -39.9% |
| Scott Rhoads | $34,657 | $62,017 | 78.9% |
| Shaffer Timber Company, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Adam Luce | $144,377 | $51,022 | -64.7% |
| Calvin J. Hostetter | $64,926 | $43,554 | -32.9% |
| Daniel P. Ferko | $29,652 | $37,096 | 25.1% |
| Allen J. Kaufman | $43,275 | $33,138 | -23.4% |
| Rockdale Farms | $50,140 | $32,874 | -34.4% |
| High Point Dairy, LLC | $23,013 | $30,301 | 31.7% |
| Deborah Crissinger | $33,763 | $27,216 | -19.4% |
| Robert J. Lohr | $32,744 | $26,096 | -20.3% |
| Hillcrest Saylor Dairy Farms, LLC | $501,233 | $21,441 | -95.7% |
| Joseph A. Walker | $44,425 | $20,602 | -53.6% |
| Mitzi C. Spory | $0 | $20,464 | -- |
| Donald St V. Clair | $30,018 | $18,987 | -36.7% |
| Philip W. Petersheim | $13,965 | $18,622 | 33.3% |
| Larry W. Lohr | $19,379 | $18,524 | -4.4% |
| Pax-Terra, LLC | $22,033 | $15,922 | -27.7% |
| William R. Yoder | $18,975 | $15,453 | -18.6% |
| Snyder Heritage Farms, LLC | $30,422 | $13,078 | -57% |
| April J. Mishler | $16,531 | $12,914 | -21.9% |
| Miller Sunset Farms, LLC | $26,879 | $10,849 | -59.6% |
| Moore Family Trust | $10,726 | $10,726 | 0% |
| Walter E. Stahl | $10,447 | $10,447 | 0% |
| Lynn Sanner | $9,846 | $9,846 | 0% |
| Dorothy Jane Paul W. David Paul | $15,510 | $9,177 | -40.8% |
| Lowell King | $23,813 | $9,174 | -61.5% |
| Latuch Brothers Farms | $189,554 | $8,120 | -95.7% |
| Michael S. Ray | $15,050 | $7,591 | -49.6% |
| The Weimer Family Irrevocable Trust | $0 | $7,480 | -- |
| William E. Heiple II | $7,291 | $7,291 | 0% |
| Jenny S. Plummer | $9,881 | $7,227 | -26.9% |
| Jean Samii | $9,791 | $6,933 | -29.2% |
| Donna L. Schrock | $6,621 | $6,621 | 0% |
| Gerald D Dumbauld FLP | $22,555 | $6,442 | -71.4% |
| Luce Bros Farms, LLC | $18,206 | $6,442 | -64.6% |
| Kyle Keane | $6,117 | $6,117 | 0% |
| Nathan Bahner | $24,760 | $5,546 | -77.6% |
| Cilgan, Corp. | $5,476 | $5,476 | 0% |
| Eric Nightingale | $17,126 | $5,423 | -68.3% |
| Reed A. Luce | $23,014 | $5,258 | -77.2% |
| Kenneth Horner | $4,865 | $4,865 | 0% |
| Walnutdale Farms | $49,782 | $4,726 | -90.5% |
| Ronald D. Brenneman | $4,833 | $4,397 | -9% |
| Stephen A. Gerhard | $8,830 | $4,294 | -51.4% |
| Claude Struckoff | $5,806 | $4,283 | -26.2% |
| Mark W. Fyock | $14,498 | $4,105 | -71.7% |
| Marie J. Bloom | $15,834 | $3,819 | -75.9% |
| Clair M. Lyons | $5,888 | $3,817 | -35.2% |
| Robert P. Harrold | $9,720 | $3,492 | -64.1% |
| Roger W. Schrock | $2,401 | $3,308 | 37.8% |
| Enrico V Sidone | $7,184 | $3,286 | -54.3% |
| Myron W. Deal | $2,935 | $2,852 | -2.8% |
| Mark H. Walker | $20,341 | $2,819 | -86.1% |
| Scott A. Baer | $19,188 | $2,732 | -85.8% |
| Nancy J. Walker | $2,713 | $2,713 | 0% |
| Glen Garber | $8,667 | $2,425 | -72% |
| Anthony Sanner | $3,756 | $2,398 | -36.2% |
| James R Bocsy | $16,558 | $2,291 | -86.2% |
| Speigle Ridge Farms | $3,961 | $2,273 | -42.6% |
| Ponfeigh Farms | $0 | $2,224 | -- |
| Michael Butterfield | $11,616 | $2,158 | -81.4% |
| Weldon Lepley | $5,672 | $2,155 | -62% |
| J & M Farms | $11,696 | $2,150 | -81.6% |
| Donald R. Bloom | $5,835 | $1,984 | -66% |
| Travis Brant | $2,870 | $1,963 | -31.6% |
| Nevin R. Hersch Jr. | $2,920 | $1,947 | -33.3% |
| Roger J. Saylor | $1,939 | $1,939 | 0% |
| Timothy L. Woy | $1,843 | $1,919 | 4.1% |
| New Baltimore Sportsmans Club | $1,901 | $1,901 | 0% |
| Ronald W. Walker | $1,789 | $1,789 | 0% |
| Robert Simonsick | $8,136 | $1,603 | -80.3% |
| John J. Cook | $2,066 | $1,537 | -25.6% |
| Allan P. Stahl | $4,906 | $1,518 | -69.1% |
| Dean P. Brant | $3,647 | $1,515 | -58.5% |
| Reno J. Barkman | $4,518 | $1,482 | -67.2% |
| Roger W Bisick SR | $1,400 | $1,400 | 0% |
| Bucks Harbor Farms | $3,456 | $1,400 | -59.5% |
| Robert R. Singo | $0 | $1,398 | -- |
| Thomas R. Leister | $0 | $1,262 | -- |
| Shirley A. Henry | $724 | $1,204 | 66.3% |
| Michael A. Walker | $4,468 | $1,185 | -73.5% |
| Dean E. Zolla | $5,647 | $1,178 | -79.1% |
| Keith A. Michael | $2,731 | $1,156 | -57.7% |
| Donald E. Walker | $1,955 | $1,108 | -43.3% |
| Andrew C. Sanner | $1,697 | $1,090 | -35.8% |
| Dennis G. Millin | $2,817 | $1,085 | -61.5% |
| Kenneth L. Lohr | $7,996 | $1,014 | -87.3% |
| Karl A. Rosenbaum | $5,474 | $974 | -82.2% |
| Thomas E. Fisher | $3,806 | $965 | -74.6% |
| Dean R. Senft | $0 | $950 | -- |
| John Harry Hartman | $2,398 | $940 | -60.8% |
| Craig R. Coleman | $931 | $931 | 0% |
| Larch Hill Farm, LLP | $916 | $916 | 0% |
| Jeffrey A. Corle | $1,869 | $856 | -54.2% |
| Joseph R. Bittner | $832 | $832 | 0% |
| Peggy A. Marker | $2,256 | $782 | -65.3% |
| John W. Sayler | $759 | $759 | 0% |
| Richard W. Hanes | $757 | $757 | 0% |
| George J. Heinlein | $2,308 | $724 | -68.6% |
| Caleb William Plummer | $2,200 | $719 | -67.3% |
| William H. Shafer | $3,502 | $700 | -80% |
| Mark G. Wilson | $5,689 | $679 | -88.1% |
| Mary Schrock | $594 | $594 | 0% |
| Thomas R. Sanner | $2,225 | $502 | -77.4% |
| Harbaugh Cattle Company | $5,541 | $499 | -91% |
| Wayne A. Petenbrink | $781 | $496 | -36.5% |
| Julie Gorman | $0 | $427 | -- |
| Bruce T. Fischer | $353 | $353 | 0% |
| Greta Durst | $1,001 | $306 | -69.4% |
| Saylor Family Farms, LLC | $17,472 | $281 | -98.4% |
| David R. Knieriem | $20,827 | $266 | -98.7% |
| Benjamin J. Yoder | $15,367 | $244 | -98.4% |
| John M. King | $0 | $220 | -- |
| Scott H. Walker | $160 | $160 | 0% |
| Charles E. Sanner | $81,134 | $59 | -99.9% |
| Clair E. Garber | $3,674 | $52 | -98.6% |
| Daniel E. Kimmel | $5,829 | $29 | -99.5% |
| Edwin Garber | $0 | $13 | -- |
| Bradley R. Barnick | $17,703 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark G Gontis | $25,685 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul S. Lehman | $500 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Landis | $1,830 | $0 | -100% |
| Bernard E. Lohr | $2,793 | $0 | -100% |
| Rocky Hollow Farms, LLC | $57,574 | $0 | -100% |
| Samuel W. Hall | $4,194 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley Knoblach | $3,168 | $0 | -100% |
| Karl Plummer | $982 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Cogan | $5,914 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael A. McKinley | $266 | $0 | -100% |
| Clover Hill Farms | $19,319 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig Engle | $3,261 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeremy C. Walters | $25,747 | $0 | -100% |
| David D. Eckman | $2,195 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathy S. Grube | $2,052 | $0 | -100% |
| R. C. Newman, Inc. | $3,498 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra Jean Schmidt | $1,440 | $0 | -100% |
| Velma J. Miller | $2,658 | $0 | -100% |
| Carol S. Weimer | $14,021 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Arnold | $746 | $0 | -100% |
| Ivy Livengood | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Jared M. Walker | $517 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth W. Weimer Jr. | $466 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurel Hill Trout Farm, Inc. | $271,218 | $0 | -100% |
| Livengood Brothers Maple, LLC | $553 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott Joseph College | $5,809 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirley Henry | $480 | $0 | -100% |
| Darci A. Sanner | $463 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,036,422 | $1,142,865 | -62.4% |
Alerts Sign-up