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In 2021, 44 farmers in cities within Tompkins County received a total of $660,417 in 79 farm subsidies, a 75.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.7 million in 179 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 |
---|---|---|---|
Millbrook Farms, LLC | $589,627 | $263,146 | -55.4% |
H & D Smith, Inc. | $99,384 | $68,404 | -31.2% |
Beck Farms, LLC | $1,353,559 | $59,268 | -95.6% |
Fall View Farms, Inc. | $40,661 | $28,088 | -30.9% |
Littletree Orchards, LLC | $51,619 | $23,146 | -55.2% |
Cliff Side Farms | $6,405 | $22,905 | 257.6% |
Karen Gunning | $6,475 | $20,206 | 212.1% |
George E. Holmes | $46,149 | $19,723 | -57.3% |
John A. Switzer | $12,411 | $15,617 | 25.8% |
Joyce L. Switzer | $12,411 | $15,617 | 25.8% |
Douglas Gunning | $19,098 | $13,368 | -30% |
Woody Acres Farm, LLC | $68,632 | $12,993 | -81.1% |
Traberg Farms, LLC | $13,725 | $12,871 | -6.2% |
Cayuga Agent Enterprises, Inc. | $19,581 | $9,640 | -50.8% |
Thor Oechsner | $14,688 | $9,326 | -36.5% |
Taber Hill Farms, Inc. | $14,999 | $8,273 | -44.8% |
Frontenac Point, LLC | $0 | $7,072 | -- |
Ronald Durling | $17,180 | $6,881 | -59.9% |
Russell R. Carpenter | $10,812 | $6,505 | -39.8% |
William G. Holtkamp | $5,061 | $5,061 | 0% |
David G. Reynolds | $13,632 | $4,244 | -68.9% |
Mazourek Farms, Inc. | $8,428 | $3,192 | -62.1% |
The William George Agency for Children's Services, Inc. | $0 | $3,145 | -- |
Norflo Farm, LLC | $1,845 | $2,515 | 36.3% |
Howard A. Gleason Sr. | $0 | $2,432 | -- |
Michael R. McArthur | $4,849 | $2,185 | -54.9% |
Richard C. Cook | $16,525 | $2,125 | -87.1% |
Maki Acres | $3,922 | $1,988 | -49.3% |
Gary Fisher | $6,830 | $1,844 | -73% |
Deva C. Maas | $0 | $1,507 | -- |
Martha L. Gunning | $3,053 | $1,192 | -61% |
Yaples Farm | $3,106 | $862 | -72.2% |
Nathaniel L. Thompson | $59,169 | $841 | -98.6% |
James A. Reed | $0 | $825 | -- |
Larry Sawatzky | $803 | $803 | 0% |
Dare Daniels | $4,801 | $694 | -85.5% |
Katherine Carestio | $1,863 | $510 | -72.6% |
Daniel J. mac Lean | $330 | $440 | 33.3% |
William C. Williams Jr. | $0 | $292 | -- |
Burr Ayr Farms, Ltd. | $706 | $260 | -63.2% |
Carol Cook | $946 | $233 | -75.4% |
Richard K. French | $94 | $133 | 41.5% |
Stephen Huber | $124 | $29 | -76.6% |
Jerry E. Mickelson | $75 | $16 | -78.7% |
Charles H. Miller Jr. | $17 | $0 | -100% |
Genevieve Declerck | $586 | $0 | -100% |
IN Shik Lee | $214 | $0 | -100% |
Jasper Meadows Farm, LLC | $140 | $0 | -100% |
Keith Hemingway | $336 | $0 | -100% |
Steven M. Foote | $57 | $0 | -100% |
The William George Agency for CHI | $3,145 | $0 | -100% |
Joseph Barber | $7,128 | $0 | -100% |
Dankey Farm, LLLP | $2,327 | $0 | -100% |
Merlin Scharfe | $4,663 | $0 | -100% |
Tri-Way Farms, Inc. | $37,002 | $0 | -100% |
Black Diamond Farm, LLC | $9,701 | $0 | -100% |
Christopher Negronida | $1,050 | $0 | -100% |
Devon van Noble | $3,637 | $0 | -100% |
Elizabeth Brown | $1,215 | $0 | -100% |
Hannah Volpi | $784 | $0 | -100% |
Here We Are Farm | $3,010 | $0 | -100% |
Howard Gleason | $10,004 | $0 | -100% |
John Tamburello | $3,507 | $0 | -100% |
John W. McGillen | $2,104 | $0 | -100% |
Koskinen Farms | $3,490 | $0 | -100% |
Lauren McKinzey | $2,792 | $0 | -100% |
Marie Roenke | $2,866 | $0 | -100% |
Martin Organics | $5,693 | $0 | -100% |
Paul C. Martin | $22,620 | $0 | -100% |
Plowbreak Farm | $500 | $0 | -100% |
The Honeybee Embassy, LLC | $5,056 | $0 | -100% |
Total subsidies | $2,667,222 | $660,417 | -75.2% |