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In 2021, 149 farmers in cities within Martin County received a total of $2.6 million in 291 farm subsidies, a 50.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.2 million in 565 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Fuhrman Farms, LLC | $288,010 | $203,904 | -29.2% |
| Michael J. Hopkins | $145,631 | $157,027 | 7.8% |
| Dennis R. Walton | $95,335 | $113,730 | 19.3% |
| Sam & Abbey Mehringer Farms, LLC | $255,073 | $105,180 | -58.8% |
| Lengacher & Sons, LLC | $187,781 | $103,222 | -45% |
| Adam T. Slaubaugh | $0 | $93,181 | -- |
| Lottes Farms, Inc. | $144,691 | $90,424 | -37.5% |
| Lance E. Mathies | $124,747 | $67,449 | -45.9% |
| Phyllis Witt | $66,402 | $65,531 | -1.3% |
| Robert J. Hoffmann | $37,531 | $65,278 | 73.9% |
| Eagle Ridge Farms, Inc. | $175,980 | $64,961 | -63.1% |
| Sam Mehringer Farms, LLC | $165,533 | $62,710 | -62.1% |
| Scattered Acres Farm, LLC | $201,780 | $59,887 | -70.3% |
| Wagler Family Farms, LLC | $181,924 | $54,435 | -70.1% |
| Graber Hill Farms, LLC | $52,614 | $53,501 | 1.7% |
| Donald E. Divine | $36,693 | $50,102 | 36.5% |
| Helen Janice Divine | $36,693 | $50,102 | 36.5% |
| Patrick L. Troutman | $41,511 | $47,250 | 13.8% |
| Shad L. Arvin | $37,145 | $46,085 | 24.1% |
| Slate Creek Farms | $158,197 | $45,627 | -71.2% |
| Gary L. Mathies | $125,843 | $40,785 | -67.6% |
| Jarrod M. Burris | $69,070 | $40,734 | -41% |
| Denise K. Lannan | $69,712 | $39,821 | -42.9% |
| Brent C. Walton | $105,616 | $38,883 | -63.2% |
| KDN Farm Operation, Inc. | $14,744 | $38,441 | 160.7% |
| Matthew D. Lark | $86,190 | $37,498 | -56.5% |
| Gary L. Gibson | $114,393 | $36,128 | -68.4% |
| CD Valley Farms, LLC | $60,808 | $35,788 | -41.1% |
| Gregg Lottes | $295,455 | $30,255 | -89.8% |
| Scott J. Lottes | $295,612 | $30,250 | -89.8% |
| Bradley J. Neukam | $98,914 | $30,024 | -69.6% |
| Robert E. Witt | $34,514 | $28,541 | -17.3% |
| Chester W. Chattin | $27,544 | $27,544 | 0% |
| Richer Farms, LLC | $31,303 | $25,949 | -17.1% |
| Keith E Graber & Son | $117,191 | $25,394 | -78.3% |
| Troutman Farms | $36,288 | $23,938 | -34% |
| Jolinda Farms, LLC | $45,304 | $23,691 | -47.7% |
| Drexel Turpin | $36,339 | $22,633 | -37.7% |
| Madonna Susan Mathies | $27,940 | $20,835 | -25.4% |
| Wesley Ray Walton | $63,896 | $20,356 | -68.1% |
| George a Mathies Revocable Trust | $83,605 | $18,840 | -77.5% |
| Joseph C. Lannan | $18,217 | $16,512 | -9.4% |
| Kyle Turpin | $14,898 | $14,898 | 0% |
| Jason Self | $14,894 | $14,894 | 0% |
| Roberta M. Turpin | $14,894 | $14,894 | 0% |
| Larry Kiesling | $50,762 | $13,737 | -72.9% |
| Zachary M. Taylor | $22,998 | $13,540 | -41.1% |
| Chris D. Mattingly | $14,919 | $13,473 | -9.7% |
| Jordan Lee Graber | $19,112 | $13,361 | -30.1% |
| Harker Farms, LLC | $39,956 | $12,474 | -68.8% |
| Byron Slaubaugh | $70,964 | $12,093 | -83% |
| Sanford Slaubaugh | $71,146 | $12,068 | -83% |
| Kerr Family Limited Partnership | $9,890 | $9,890 | 0% |
| Francis R. Burch | $50,049 | $9,472 | -81.1% |
| Phillip M. Graber | $8,365 | $9,163 | 9.5% |
| Seo Farms, LLC | $0 | $8,328 | -- |
| Dina Waggoner | $8,054 | $7,979 | -0.9% |
| Christian J. Fischer | $7,592 | $7,592 | 0% |
| Wagler Brothers, Inc. | $24,026 | $6,990 | -70.9% |
| Ronald D. Divine | $31,667 | $6,385 | -79.8% |
| Warren Lee Bass | $5,456 | $5,456 | 0% |
| Ralph G. Mauder | $13,855 | $5,117 | -63.1% |
| Rick Mauder | $13,518 | $5,117 | -62.1% |
| Keeven Neukam | $6,837 | $5,062 | -26% |
| Louis M. Hart | $10,808 | $4,567 | -57.7% |
| Paul D. Sanders | $4,505 | $4,505 | 0% |
| Wagler Hillside Farm, LLC | $0 | $3,990 | -- |
| Carl Gibson | $0 | $3,699 | -- |
| Cody C. Hornaday | $2,319 | $3,582 | 54.5% |
| Wininger White River Farm | $8,951 | $3,462 | -61.3% |
| Don Swartzentruber | $52,961 | $3,418 | -93.5% |
| Flat Creek Farm | $12,900 | $3,416 | -73.5% |
| Hart Family Irrevocable Trust | $3,728 | $3,312 | -11.2% |
| Dale E. Divine | $7,631 | $3,280 | -57% |
| Danny W. Phillips Sr. | $18,305 | $3,055 | -83.3% |
| Ronald L. Burris | $1,748 | $2,842 | 62.6% |
| Byron Hoffmann | $2,781 | $2,781 | 0% |
| Harold Eichmiller | $10,542 | $2,706 | -74.3% |
| Jared J. Mathies | $11,143 | $2,630 | -76.4% |
| Larry Wagler | $6,176 | $2,409 | -61% |
| Charles-Charles E Day Revoc Trust E Day | $5,805 | $2,238 | -61.4% |
| Rick A. Gibson | $3,834 | $2,191 | -42.9% |
| Carolyn Johnson | $8,770 | $2,164 | -75.3% |
| Graber Feed Service | $9,260 | $2,154 | -76.7% |
| Ronald W. Boyd | $3,376 | $2,135 | -36.8% |
| Kevin Fuhrman | $7,073 | $1,832 | -74.1% |
| Robert E. Force | $3,369 | $1,805 | -46.4% |
| Jeff L. Raney | $7,159 | $1,790 | -75% |
| Gregory A. Mathies | $5,166 | $1,778 | -65.6% |
| Dan McCarty | $9,668 | $1,718 | -82.2% |
| Richard L. Hawkins | $7,516 | $1,629 | -78.3% |
| Todd Baker | $1,460 | $1,460 | 0% |
| Paul J. Kaiser Jr. | $6,701 | $1,368 | -79.6% |
| Dale E. Brown | $1,296 | $1,296 | 0% |
| David P. Jones | $1,268 | $1,268 | 0% |
| Delbert Lengacher | $750 | $1,171 | 56.1% |
| Curtis Hornaday | $2,112 | $1,132 | -46.4% |
| Phillip Emmons | $5,551 | $1,119 | -79.8% |
| Teddy Emmons | $4,365 | $1,119 | -74.4% |
| Danny Joe Salmon | $330 | $937 | 183.9% |
| Elvis R. Jones | $5,100 | $904 | -82.3% |
| Gary Kebert | $2,970 | $899 | -69.7% |
| Ronald Tyler Divine | $659 | $879 | 33.4% |
| Kenneth R. Hornaday | $2,869 | $815 | -71.6% |
| Chattin Farms, Inc. | $3,914 | $792 | -79.8% |
| David J. Gregory | $410 | $777 | 89.5% |
| Danny R. Clark | $1,848 | $700 | -62.1% |
| NSL Farms, Inc. | $2,167 | $687 | -68.3% |
| Sylvester Porter | $1,353 | $677 | -50% |
| Colten Reed Lottes | $2,332 | $667 | -71.4% |
| Damon Brian Jones | $858 | $663 | -22.7% |
| Bryan R. Montgomery | $1,749 | $627 | -64.2% |
| Kevin Holloway | $625 | $625 | 0% |
| Nolan H. Lottes | $2,575 | $608 | -76.4% |
| Marold D. Montgomery | $1,419 | $600 | -57.7% |
| Betty R. Butler | $2,416 | $582 | -75.9% |
| Crane Family Trust | $574 | $574 | 0% |
| Brian James Graber | $1,287 | $564 | -56.2% |
| Michael Wade | $9,377 | $560 | -94% |
| Paul Duvall | $0 | $556 | -- |
| Robert Letterman | $1,710 | $539 | -68.5% |
| Roger L. Cooper | $2,090 | $485 | -76.8% |
| Eric David Lark | $10,998 | $470 | -95.7% |
| Galen R. Knepp | $3,000 | $418 | -86.1% |
| Steve L. Swartzentruber | $1,426 | $403 | -71.7% |
| Sharon J. Michaels | $2,466 | $387 | -84.3% |
| Matthew Kyle Lark | $4,281 | $382 | -91.1% |
| Steven L. Grishaw | $374 | $374 | 0% |
| Julie Graber | $929 | $369 | -60.3% |
| Logan Martin Dant | $1,250 | $351 | -71.9% |
| Emily G. O'Brien | $1,329 | $312 | -76.5% |
| Vaughn D. Montgomery | $693 | $260 | -62.5% |
| Kenneth R. Fuhrman | $236 | $236 | 0% |
| Loren E. Wagler | $164 | $207 | 26.2% |
| Donna Hawkins | $54 | $201 | 272.2% |
| Carla Harner | $470 | $192 | -59.1% |
| Suzanne E. Brown | $524 | $179 | -65.8% |
| Rex Strawn | $413 | $176 | -57.4% |
| Joe F. Williams | $0 | $154 | -- |
| Jody Schultheis | $524 | $149 | -71.6% |
| Ray Lengacher | $146 | $146 | 0% |
| Ricky A. Boyd | $594 | $121 | -79.6% |
| Mackison Farm, LLC | $2,193 | $112 | -94.9% |
| Jennifer Holmes | $408 | $110 | -73% |
| Mervin L. Wagler | $353 | $88 | -75.1% |
| Katherine Swartzentruber | $353 | $87 | -75.4% |
| John L. Milligan | $489 | $43 | -91.2% |
| Herbert W. Swartzentruber | $99 | $38 | -61.6% |
| Jerry L. Lindauer | $30 | $30 | 0% |
| Christopher John Graber | $4,165 | $0 | -100% |
| JL Smith Farms, LLC | $1,200 | $0 | -100% |
| John E. Vaupel | $2,311 | $0 | -100% |
| John H. Kenworthy | $134 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda L. Jones | $4,124 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Lou Burress | $175 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael G. Burris | $2,879 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard W. Allen | $63 | $0 | -100% |
| Rick Hardin | $759 | $0 | -100% |
| Sharon Sutton | $565 | $0 | -100% |
| Steven R. Waggoner | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Walton Greenhouses | $13,288 | $0 | -100% |
| Annabell Gibson | $380 | $0 | -100% |
| Patricia Hawkins | $572 | $0 | -100% |
| TS Acres, LLC | $2,365 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,170,741 | $2,581,142 | -50.1% |
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