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In 2021, 98 farmers in cities within Allegheny County received a total of $562,143 in 163 farm subsidies, a 52.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.2 million in 311 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heifer Enterprises, LLC | $279,501 | $136,507 | -51.2% |
| Rhonda J Winnecour Trustee | $684 | $45,089 | 6,492% |
| Weinhofer Farms, LLC | $128,764 | $41,437 | -67.8% |
| Ronda J. Winnecour, Chp 12 Trustee | $0 | $31,488 | -- |
| Pantoily Farms, LLC | $35,938 | $17,013 | -52.7% |
| Tom Martin Family Trust | $28,555 | $16,288 | -43% |
| Main Street Milk, LLC | $30,991 | $12,780 | -58.8% |
| Western Pennsylvania Conservancy | $13,410 | $12,558 | -6.4% |
| Michael Dale Jones | $11,559 | $11,559 | 0% |
| Susan E. Quam | $18,461 | $11,306 | -38.8% |
| John Allen Belcher | $0 | $11,207 | -- |
| Margaret Schott Kranz | $13,059 | $11,117 | -14.9% |
| Thomas Kranz | $13,059 | $11,117 | -14.9% |
| Karin L. Glass | $21,075 | $9,657 | -54.2% |
| Ryan Jake Hagler | $18,598 | $8,967 | -51.8% |
| Rhonda J. Winnecour, Chp 12 Trustee | $0 | $8,675 | -- |
| Gerald V. Chessman | $2,651 | $8,382 | 216.2% |
| Saundra Lawson Hammit | $8,800 | $8,098 | -8% |
| Riverview Aspinwall, LLC | $5,458 | $7,420 | 35.9% |
| Prairie Land Farms, LLC | $33,899 | $6,860 | -79.8% |
| M Barbara Hoffman Trust | $0 | $5,870 | -- |
| Ella Mae Mcguire Revocable Trust | $0 | $5,785 | -- |
| Scott Family Farm, Inc. | $17,647 | $5,671 | -67.9% |
| David Mischen | $15,118 | $5,542 | -63.3% |
| Heuck Real Estate, LLC | $5,415 | $5,415 | 0% |
| Fredric L. Goss | $5,214 | $5,214 | 0% |
| Sue S Oliver Family Trust | $8,077 | $4,915 | -39.1% |
| Calvin Lazarus & Sons | $121,785 | $4,883 | -96% |
| Julie Maristuen-Rodakowski | $8,583 | $4,785 | -44.3% |
| Nathan J. Dyrud | $4,623 | $4,623 | 0% |
| Edward W Schuerle Trust | $4,582 | $4,582 | 0% |
| David Cannan | $6,278 | $4,523 | -28% |
| Cindy Fuller | $3,997 | $3,997 | 0% |
| Blixseth Farm Venture | $6,222 | $3,681 | -40.8% |
| Elizabeth R. Burkhardt | $0 | $3,378 | -- |
| Heggestad Family Trust | $8,120 | $3,258 | -59.9% |
| Richard L. Smith | $5,243 | $3,087 | -41.1% |
| Charles Hutchko | $2,720 | $2,720 | 0% |
| Betty Jo Zengerle Revoc Trust | $8,503 | $2,450 | -71.2% |
| Matthew M. Pullins | $4,763 | $2,300 | -51.7% |
| Tronda Brian Roselius | $5,119 | $2,298 | -55.1% |
| Holly W Sphar Farm LP | $0 | $2,255 | -- |
| Loren a Anderson Trust | $4,868 | $2,107 | -56.7% |
| Kevin Beacom | $7,713 | $2,089 | -72.9% |
| James D Lueers | $4,771 | $2,033 | -57.4% |
| C Donald Fahrnkopf Irrev Trust | $5,423 | $1,919 | -64.6% |
| Asylum Holdings LP | $0 | $1,866 | -- |
| Michael Reuter Farm Tuw | $2,023 | $1,865 | -7.8% |
| Peggy J. Houck | $2,645 | $1,742 | -34.1% |
| John Proffitt | $2,528 | $1,677 | -33.7% |
| Melvin Gill | $4,819 | $1,568 | -67.5% |
| Mary Kinney | $3,308 | $1,471 | -55.5% |
| Donna J. Sleasman | $5,177 | $1,411 | -72.7% |
| Michele a Bevelhimer Kortyna | $1,396 | $1,345 | -3.7% |
| Richard Corcoran | $5,759 | $1,202 | -79.1% |
| Virginia R. Strouss | $1,896 | $1,148 | -39.5% |
| William Randolph Reed | $2,830 | $1,100 | -61.1% |
| Stuart D. Fox | $0 | $1,081 | -- |
| June S. Snyder | $2,078 | $910 | -56.2% |
| DR William a Cameron Estate | $886 | $886 | 0% |
| Luann White | $861 | $819 | -4.9% |
| Lawrence C. Finke | $797 | $797 | 0% |
| Nina J. Baird | $1,920 | $787 | -59% |
| David A. Fitch | $986 | $785 | -20.4% |
| Kirsten Strayer | $1,334 | $698 | -47.7% |
| Dorothy Boyer | $2,563 | $696 | -72.8% |
| John F. Boyer | $2,563 | $696 | -72.8% |
| Stephen L. Schneider | $696 | $696 | 0% |
| Brenda G. Jordan | $1,811 | $664 | -63.3% |
| Steven Blauser | $648 | $648 | 0% |
| Stowe Sportsmen Club, Inc. | $648 | $648 | 0% |
| Stacey E Schneider-Pollack | $619 | $619 | 0% |
| Dave Graff | $1,739 | $613 | -64.7% |
| Megan L. McDonald | $608 | $608 | 0% |
| Keith Larsen | $1,581 | $582 | -63.2% |
| Duane A. Humphreys | $526 | $520 | -1.1% |
| Steven B and Judy a Bomely Family Trust | $1,382 | $453 | -67.2% |
| APH Farms, LLC | $559 | $446 | -20.2% |
| Douglas C. Bradley | $411 | $411 | 0% |
| Chuanyue Wu | $969 | $406 | -58.1% |
| Dennis Mascari | $1,043 | $388 | -62.8% |
| Henninger Farm Property, LLC | $344 | $344 | 0% |
| Daniel Kengor | $4,831 | $334 | -93.1% |
| Dwight S Humphreys and Betty L Humphreys Joint IRR | $0 | $319 | -- |
| Joseph C. Young | $976 | $294 | -69.9% |
| Mary O. Harrison | $255 | $255 | 0% |
| Will Louis Wyss | $469 | $249 | -46.9% |
| Tomollie's | $232 | $232 | 0% |
| Ka Chen | $190 | $190 | 0% |
| Dillner Family Farms, LLC | $58,820 | $160 | -99.7% |
| Robert L. Beacom | $2,395 | $155 | -93.5% |
| Christopher D. Hart | $278 | $133 | -52.2% |
| Jillyn Jai Roxberg | $0 | $83 | -- |
| Ronda J Winnecour, Chp 12 Trustee | $778 | $80 | -89.7% |
| Rhonda White | $100 | $55 | -45% |
| Dean A. Spahr | $109 | $54 | -50.5% |
| Katherine A. Burchill | $142 | $45 | -68.3% |
| Marvin Dewey | $1,952 | $4 | -99.8% |
| Loretta M. Fisher | $889 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary E. Hosler | $30 | $0 | -100% |
| Peter M. Previte | $2,667 | $0 | -100% |
| Edwin Page Jr. | $5,103 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory A. Vitale | $1,137 | $0 | -100% |
| Lisa M Schmitt-Morrison | $454 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott Kummer | $188 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Hoover | $4,119 | $0 | -100% |
| Annika J. Curren | $29 | $0 | -100% |
| Bartsch Lawn and Garden, Inc. | $19,161 | $0 | -100% |
| Bitter ENDS Farm, LLC | $1,931 | $0 | -100% |
| Capricious, LLC | $473 | $0 | -100% |
| Dwight S Humphreys and Betty L Hu | $644 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward J. Spahr III | $109 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Hanson | $48 | $0 | -100% |
| Hoffenstein, Inc. | $902 | $0 | -100% |
| Horizon View Farms, LLC | $991 | $0 | -100% |
| M Barbara Hoffman Revocable Trust | $5,870 | $0 | -100% |
| Megan Gallagher - Bewilder Farm | $4,569 | $0 | -100% |
| Mwanakuche Farm | $4,060 | $0 | -100% |
| Patrick N. Maxim | $7,737 | $0 | -100% |
| Phyllis L Majesky IRRV Trustee | $2,512 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhonda J. Winnecour, Chp 12 Trust | $7,201 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda J Winnecour | $1,273 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda J. Winnecour, Chapter 12 Trustee | $2,852 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda J. Winnecour, Chp 12 Truste | $18,556 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda J. Winnecour, CHP. 12 Trust | $3,065 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda J. Winnecour, Trustee | $7,899 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronda Winnecour, Trustee | $22 | $0 | -100% |
| Sun Prairie Acres, LLC | $2,391 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas J. Murphy Jr. | $1,269 | $0 | -100% |
| Tiny Seed Farm, LLC | $9,086 | $0 | -100% |
| Lettuce Ladies | $8,765 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Gulick | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Terrance Yute | $310 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,188,468 | $562,143 | -52.7% |
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