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In 2021, 79 farmers in cities within Lehigh County received a total of $799,938 in 116 farm subsidies, a 56% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.8 million in 284 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynnacres Farm, LLC | $153,604 | $122,125 | -20.5% |
| Show Top Farms, Inc. | $161,527 | $97,752 | -39.5% |
| Crystal Spring Farm, Inc. | $111,075 | $76,953 | -30.7% |
| Newhard Farms | $287,714 | $74,469 | -74.1% |
| Marwell Dairy Farm, LLC | $124,611 | $54,794 | -56% |
| Paul Semmel | $36,356 | $50,754 | 39.6% |
| Peter P. Wisser | $57,937 | $39,567 | -31.7% |
| Michael J. Ferry | $24,178 | $24,178 | 0% |
| Dale E. Remaley | $74,903 | $23,003 | -69.3% |
| Schaffer Farms | $76,077 | $22,406 | -70.5% |
| John F. Folck | $48,517 | $17,311 | -64.3% |
| Earl O. Zellner Jr. | $17,533 | $17,065 | -2.7% |
| Lance Wertman | $48,155 | $16,507 | -65.7% |
| Richard A. Bleiler | $38,180 | $12,687 | -66.8% |
| Ralph Wertman | $35,007 | $12,091 | -65.5% |
| Marlene R. Rayl | $8,932 | $8,932 | 0% |
| Houstin L Lichtenwalner | $25,852 | $7,382 | -71.4% |
| Elijah J. Heiter | $13,995 | $6,315 | -54.9% |
| Rohrbach Bros | $18,867 | $6,103 | -67.7% |
| Clover Knoll Farm | $24,548 | $5,935 | -75.8% |
| Larry C. Hower | $5,869 | $5,869 | 0% |
| Kevin L. Utt | $10,840 | $5,617 | -48.2% |
| William S. Goss | $5,214 | $5,214 | 0% |
| Dennis I. Atiyeh | $0 | $4,745 | -- |
| Martin D. Bennicoff | $8,961 | $4,649 | -48.1% |
| William L. Schuck | $7,327 | $4,496 | -38.6% |
| JMJ Western Farms, Ltd. | $4,403 | $4,403 | 0% |
| Ronald J. Heintzelman | $7,769 | $3,811 | -50.9% |
| Jeffrey A. Ruth | $9,622 | $3,419 | -64.5% |
| Jeffrey P. Seidel | $6,160 | $3,341 | -45.8% |
| Jerry L. Christman | $6,828 | $3,317 | -51.4% |
| Marshall Mangold | $5,978 | $2,790 | -53.3% |
| A J Farms, LLC | $16,385 | $2,607 | -84.1% |
| Donald D. Brannan | $2,771 | $2,568 | -7.3% |
| Blue Nob Rod and Gun Club | $2,187 | $2,510 | 14.8% |
| James Bachman | $5,402 | $2,495 | -53.8% |
| Earl O. Zellner | $19,173 | $2,459 | -87.2% |
| Jody Menzies | $6,957 | $2,369 | -65.9% |
| Francis Stopp | $3,595 | $2,257 | -37.2% |
| Joseph E. Vincent | $2,225 | $2,225 | 0% |
| Todd B. Thorp | $1,749 | $1,749 | 0% |
| Kevin Henninger | $5,830 | $1,648 | -71.7% |
| Nicholas R. Hamm | $2,838 | $1,594 | -43.8% |
| Hausman Fruit Farm, Inc. | $12,689 | $1,544 | -87.8% |
| Mark Miller | $3,211 | $1,516 | -52.8% |
| Kelvin Reinert | $1,488 | $1,488 | 0% |
| Carol A. Dorney | $3,414 | $1,370 | -59.9% |
| Robert C. Oplinger | $2,477 | $1,244 | -49.8% |
| Bobbie J. Knudson | $1,733 | $1,233 | -28.9% |
| Reinert Farm | $4,088 | $1,230 | -69.9% |
| Harry A. W. Gruber | $1,990 | $1,225 | -38.4% |
| David A. Schuck | $2,774 | $1,179 | -57.5% |
| Jojo Farm, LLC | $1,169 | $1,169 | 0% |
| Marvin R. Christman | $4,088 | $1,092 | -73.3% |
| Alan Younkin | $2,681 | $1,077 | -59.8% |
| Lehigh Greens | $0 | $1,033 | -- |
| Steven S. Weinsteiger | $3,434 | $1,029 | -70% |
| James R. Clare | $4,708 | $959 | -79.6% |
| Lloyd M. Robeson | $3,017 | $908 | -69.9% |
| Timothy Geiger | $15,039 | $904 | -94% |
| Elden R. Longenbach | $898 | $898 | 0% |
| Sandra Lee Mugridge | $1,204 | $804 | -33.2% |
| Stephen A. Wessner | $2,074 | $785 | -62.2% |
| Estate of James Slamon | $0 | $772 | -- |
| Karen D. Newhard | $2,875 | $692 | -75.9% |
| Leona M. Myles | $1,262 | $614 | -51.3% |
| Urmy Brothers, LLC | $2,327 | $530 | -77.2% |
| Josephine Ann Peartree | $1,428 | $405 | -71.6% |
| Wilmer Dise II | $2,594 | $355 | -86.3% |
| Matthew Henderson | $3,917 | $316 | -91.9% |
| Todd D. Longenbach | $292 | $292 | 0% |
| Todd Ray Wessner | $338 | $240 | -29% |
| Clark Mantz | $202 | $202 | 0% |
| Jody A. Menzies | $0 | $121 | -- |
| Maxine Krapf | $95 | $95 | 0% |
| Grim's Greenhouse & Farm Market, Inc. | $0 | $50 | -- |
| Laura Irish | $42 | $42 | 0% |
| Terry C. Muth | $2,424 | $29 | -98.8% |
| Kelli Di Cesare | $0 | $15 | -- |
| Salvaterra's Gardens | $20,547 | $0 | -100% |
| Diane Furchner & Debra Hunsicker | $3,686 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey J. Segan | $19,997 | $0 | -100% |
| David Schaffer | $1,494 | $0 | -100% |
| Grim's Greenhouse & Farm Market I | $66,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Sean Smith | $673 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney S. Wieder | $6,071 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Souder | $1,925 | $0 | -100% |
| Russel L. Schantz | $1,443 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian C & William L Dietrich PTR | $31,520 | $0 | -100% |
| David W. Knoedler | $9,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Daniels | $2,583 | $0 | -100% |
| Leonard C. Rex | $2,516 | $0 | -100% |
| Reuben John Demaster | $9,260 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth A. Raber | $181 | $0 | -100% |
| Earl Young | $471 | $0 | -100% |
| Dixie Gross | $10,440 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark C. Heintzelman | $925 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul W. Krause | $3,357 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,818,549 | $799,938 | -56% |
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