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In 2021, 70 farmers in cities within Howard County received a total of $362,726 in 111 farm subsidies, a 29.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $512,127 in 177 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glamourview Farms, LLC | $83,507 | $87,655 | 5% |
| Frank's Produce & Greenhouses, LLC | $0 | $56,393 | -- |
| Estate of Richard E Jones | $84,816 | $42,714 | -49.6% |
| Chris Parrow | $16,308 | $16,308 | 0% |
| Lewis J Flyr | $25,555 | $9,708 | -62% |
| Harold H. Lucas Jr. | $32,416 | $9,423 | -70.9% |
| Ervin Norgren | $7,854 | $9,214 | 17.3% |
| Gorman Farm, LLC | $0 | $8,116 | -- |
| Clarkland Farm, LLC | $7,802 | $7,559 | -3.1% |
| Charles D. Keyes | $29,425 | $6,998 | -76.2% |
| Leila Louise Rahimi | $4,598 | $5,314 | 15.6% |
| Antietam 12311, LLC | $4,752 | $4,968 | 4.5% |
| Harold Feaga | $2,568 | $4,916 | 91.4% |
| Carroll Mill Farm | $11,455 | $4,377 | -61.8% |
| Martha M. Downs | $9,627 | $4,315 | -55.2% |
| Vaughan Farm, LLC | $2,352 | $4,075 | 73.3% |
| William S. Mason | $4,541 | $4,045 | -10.9% |
| William E. Eisenhauer | $7,968 | $4,004 | -49.7% |
| Amend Properties, LLC | $8,929 | $3,903 | -56.3% |
| Richard Thomas Miller | $15,606 | $3,746 | -76% |
| Nora Crist Trust | $3,644 | $3,644 | 0% |
| Betty H. Marose | $3,508 | $3,528 | 0.6% |
| Asha Kumar Marakath | $3,519 | $3,519 | 0% |
| Cecil & Zelda Mcniel Farms | $5,108 | $3,399 | -33.5% |
| John I. Bohn Jr. | $3,190 | $3,190 | 0% |
| Myrtle Woods Farm, LLC | $0 | $2,569 | -- |
| Wood-Wilmer Farm, LLC | $2,536 | $2,536 | 0% |
| May Lin Pong | $0 | $2,481 | -- |
| Jonathan Mullinix | $2,360 | $2,360 | 0% |
| Vineyard Farms | $7,822 | $2,250 | -71.2% |
| Jason B. Franklin | $4,490 | $2,245 | -50% |
| Grover M. Barham Jr. | $4,776 | $2,165 | -54.7% |
| Randall E. Greenfield | $2,032 | $2,000 | -1.6% |
| Owens Family Trust | $3,235 | $1,958 | -39.5% |
| Nora Crist | $1,726 | $1,726 | 0% |
| Eric R. Farmer | $1,947 | $1,650 | -15.3% |
| Mark L. Tucker | $0 | $1,630 | -- |
| Godfrey Farm Trustee | $2,242 | $1,579 | -29.6% |
| Charles Dowling | $2,713 | $1,473 | -45.7% |
| Gregor Farms | $1,454 | $1,454 | 0% |
| Thompson Commercial Properties, LLC | $1,437 | $1,422 | -1% |
| Karen Angle Estate | $605 | $1,324 | 118.8% |
| Claire L. Asher | $526 | $1,261 | 139.7% |
| Phyllis M Brown IRR Trust | $1,696 | $1,188 | -30% |
| Jared Gulliford | $0 | $1,101 | -- |
| Pamela J Neff Trustee of the Revo | $1,075 | $1,075 | 0% |
| Roma Otankis | $1,692 | $920 | -45.6% |
| Elizabeth Schumm | $897 | $897 | 0% |
| Patricia M Ensor Rev LV Trust Prior to 08/12/2021 | $3,118 | $841 | -73% |
| Camilla Carroll | $767 | $767 | 0% |
| Edward Allen Seidel | $1,496 | $555 | -62.9% |
| Joyce Ann Howes | $548 | $548 | 0% |
| Edward Allen Seidel Trust | $1,247 | $543 | -56.5% |
| Angora Hill Farm, LLC | $496 | $496 | 0% |
| Patricia M Ensor Revocable Living Trust | $0 | $486 | -- |
| John Matthew Skinner | $901 | $461 | -48.8% |
| Paula Rasera | $1,129 | $458 | -59.4% |
| Timothy Lane Smith | $997 | $454 | -54.5% |
| Susan L. Ensor | $1,040 | $443 | -57.4% |
| Rodney D. Timm | $1,591 | $409 | -74.3% |
| Clark's Elioak Farm | $2,236 | $379 | -83.1% |
| Tanya M Hoegh-Allan | $359 | $359 | 0% |
| Frank M. Johnson | $770 | $351 | -54.4% |
| Jeanna Donahue | $273 | $227 | -16.8% |
| Donald A. Crawley | $0 | $210 | -- |
| Cathie Leimenstoll | $201 | $201 | 0% |
| Jill Bondurant | $135 | $89 | -34.1% |
| Shapar Pond Vineyard, LLC | $0 | $56 | -- |
| Diana Crawley Capino | $604 | $49 | -91.9% |
| Douglas H. Crawley | $604 | $49 | -91.9% |
| Lynne Tessmer | $4,328 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold Black | $836 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen R. Angle | $882 | $0 | -100% |
| Susan Alter | $63 | $0 | -100% |
| SHO Nuf Turkey Farm, LLC | $63,197 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $512,127 | $362,726 | -29.2% |
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