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In 2021, 105 farmers in cities within Bedford County received a total of $1.1 million in 173 farm subsidies, a 50.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.2 million in 285 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry L & Brian L Woy PTR | $294,214 | $133,977 | -54.5% |
| Moyers Rolling Green Acres, LLC | $212,532 | $127,173 | -40.2% |
| Hershberger Farms, LLC | $121,054 | $98,395 | -18.7% |
| Clarence D. Brallier Jr. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Garry L. Wilkins | $51,334 | $49,701 | -3.2% |
| Hernley David | $131,392 | $49,646 | -62.2% |
| Hoover Brothers | $86,345 | $45,174 | -47.7% |
| George R. Perrin | $59,875 | $41,959 | -29.9% |
| Spence Barkman | $103,680 | $38,611 | -62.8% |
| Lincoln Highway Farms, LLC | $85,950 | $31,648 | -63.2% |
| Bac-Acre Farms | $80,096 | $28,173 | -64.8% |
| Kenneth D. Stanton | $45,547 | $26,122 | -42.6% |
| Tanner D. Bence | $5,947 | $22,692 | 281.6% |
| Jeffrey L. Bange | $60,715 | $21,397 | -64.8% |
| Michael R. Stoltzfus | $20,973 | $20,559 | -2% |
| Tussey Knoll Farm | $22,865 | $16,775 | -26.6% |
| Brian R. Greise | $18,787 | $16,094 | -14.3% |
| Michael L. Wilt | $21,673 | $15,456 | -28.7% |
| Ray E Hyde Estate | $0 | $14,545 | -- |
| Thomas L. Barkman | $2,490 | $14,079 | 465.4% |
| Judith A. Diehl | $0 | $12,620 | -- |
| Joshua Edgar Weicht | $0 | $11,696 | -- |
| Bence Slope Farms, LLC | $23,948 | $10,851 | -54.7% |
| Mark W. Hahn | $25,901 | $10,234 | -60.5% |
| Justin Heming | $9,591 | $9,591 | 0% |
| Marian P. Dull | $8,737 | $8,737 | 0% |
| Daniel L. Ritchey | $24,305 | $8,355 | -65.6% |
| Robin F. Miller | $8,261 | $8,261 | 0% |
| Ray E. Hyde | $21,232 | $6,689 | -68.5% |
| Harry & Allen W Millin PTRS | $6,128 | $5,564 | -9.2% |
| Jeffrey W. Horn | $0 | $5,214 | -- |
| William D. Baker | $5,608 | $5,073 | -9.5% |
| William I. Lingenfelter | $18,967 | $4,872 | -74.3% |
| Daryl S. Weaver | $5,383 | $4,849 | -9.9% |
| Carol A. Winegardner | $4,821 | $4,821 | 0% |
| Robert Stanton | $12,539 | $4,672 | -62.7% |
| Ritchey Bros | $12,494 | $4,644 | -62.8% |
| David R. Bowser Jr. | $10,845 | $4,589 | -57.7% |
| Earnest A. Diehl | $3,981 | $3,981 | 0% |
| David K. Runk | $6,797 | $3,933 | -42.1% |
| Barry Barkman | $9,929 | $3,833 | -61.4% |
| Roger E Parks | $9,057 | $3,648 | -59.7% |
| Fred a & Bruce O Shankle Partnership | $0 | $3,548 | -- |
| Todd McCoy | $4,125 | $3,477 | -15.7% |
| Craig A. Rose | $9,050 | $3,190 | -64.8% |
| Matthew Troutman | $10,217 | $3,102 | -69.6% |
| David R. Korns | $15,280 | $2,931 | -80.8% |
| Ian Brooks | $0 | $2,902 | -- |
| Robert McConahy | $4,383 | $2,851 | -35% |
| Tyler James Sherwood | $4,210 | $2,479 | -41.1% |
| Henry H. Shaw | $13,094 | $2,271 | -82.7% |
| Roger P. Weist | $4,016 | $2,218 | -44.8% |
| Robert P. Lehman | $11,682 | $2,181 | -81.3% |
| Thad J. Wilson | $2,150 | $2,150 | 0% |
| Fair Family Farms, LLC | $31,726 | $2,056 | -93.5% |
| Jeffrey S. Muir | $2,054 | $2,054 | 0% |
| John W. Koontz | $4,292 | $1,949 | -54.6% |
| Jeffrey L. Stone | $6,381 | $1,890 | -70.4% |
| Ronald E. Reed II | $8,805 | $1,841 | -79.1% |
| Zane E. Emerick | $5,169 | $1,829 | -64.6% |
| Naomi J. Ellis | $1,821 | $1,821 | 0% |
| Phyllis A. Strayer | $1,821 | $1,821 | 0% |
| Christ B. Groff | $0 | $1,815 | -- |
| Bryan Whitfield | $0 | $1,806 | -- |
| Roy A. Kegg | $1,798 | $1,798 | 0% |
| Bernard James Miller | $4,273 | $1,761 | -58.8% |
| John J. Troutman | $9,481 | $1,737 | -81.7% |
| Robert W. Wilkins Jr. | $6,480 | $1,736 | -73.2% |
| Keith Kennedy | $5,369 | $1,716 | -68% |
| Ronald P. Dibert | $5,031 | $1,710 | -66% |
| Kevin Stiles | $6,886 | $1,572 | -77.2% |
| Wilfred Turner | $6,510 | $1,561 | -76% |
| Lee R. Shaw | $6,715 | $1,549 | -76.9% |
| William W. Martz Jr. | $1,527 | $1,527 | 0% |
| Samuel Cottle | $15,785 | $1,480 | -90.6% |
| Dick B. Lohr | $1,015 | $1,467 | 44.5% |
| Christopher Korns | $6,248 | $1,341 | -78.5% |
| William E. Shoemaker | $4,884 | $1,288 | -73.6% |
| Randy L. Scott | $3,318 | $1,250 | -62.3% |
| Andrew J. Lang | $7,036 | $1,213 | -82.8% |
| Jeffrey D. Bence | $9,024 | $1,139 | -87.4% |
| David C. Winegardner | $1,125 | $1,125 | 0% |
| Dale W. Bence | $8,361 | $1,115 | -86.7% |
| Victor Woy | $4,986 | $1,100 | -77.9% |
| Craig H. Manspeaker | $7,399 | $1,070 | -85.5% |
| Wayne E. Hyde | $1,007 | $1,007 | 0% |
| Joseph W. Diehl | $13,588 | $968 | -92.9% |
| Beth A. Clark | $0 | $910 | -- |
| Brian Hershberger | $873 | $873 | 0% |
| Brumbaugh Family Farm, LLC | $2,860 | $832 | -70.9% |
| Curtis Leader | $3,795 | $795 | -79.1% |
| Christopher L. Blough | $2,343 | $764 | -67.4% |
| Daniel A. Dibert | $1,072 | $690 | -35.6% |
| Corey M. Wilt | $3,180 | $671 | -78.9% |
| James E. Keebaugh | $2,186 | $634 | -71% |
| Charles T Bockhouse JR | $596 | $596 | 0% |
| Gerald Leader | $3,062 | $591 | -80.7% |
| Samuel S. Brumbaugh | $726 | $487 | -32.9% |
| Lee O. Barkman | $1,781 | $462 | -74.1% |
| Dibert Hay & Hauling, LLC | $449 | $420 | -6.5% |
| Patrick S. Will | $404 | $404 | 0% |
| Randy College | $889 | $350 | -60.6% |
| Sidney A. Weaver | $295 | $295 | 0% |
| Brian Kennell | $0 | $169 | -- |
| Perrin Farms | $0 | $17 | -- |
| Janet Manspeaker | $722 | $0 | -100% |
| Jessica R. Lankey | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Tyler Sherwood | $4,641 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary Cook | $5,335 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony Wertz | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian Barkley | $7,820 | $0 | -100% |
| Boyer Orchards, LLC | $251,392 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurie K. Hubbard | $3,998 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott R. Perrin | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| Alex Laurenza | $1,079 | $0 | -100% |
| David S Dohoda | $529 | $0 | -100% |
| Fred a & Bruce O Shankle Partners | $10,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney Bartholow | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas E. Mowry | $100 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,245,014 | $1,106,150 | -50.7% |
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