Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 104 farmers in cities within Northampton County received a total of $1.1 million in 167 farm subsidies, a 60.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.9 million in 414 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewer Farms, LLC | $165,039 | $100,780 | -38.9% |
| Joan A. Williams | $128,717 | $67,920 | -47.2% |
| Kiefer Family Partnership T/A Willowbrook Farms | $0 | $59,729 | -- |
| Ralph Hahn | $75,431 | $51,607 | -31.6% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $45,508 | -- |
| Robert J. Kroboth | $135,461 | $45,245 | -66.6% |
| Keystone Farm, LLC | $65,277 | $45,114 | -30.9% |
| Clayton M. Stine III | $142,376 | $43,388 | -69.5% |
| Mark J. Deysher | $107,499 | $32,330 | -69.9% |
| Judy A. Kneebone | $20,088 | $32,299 | 60.8% |
| Mark L. Yetter | $34,890 | $27,781 | -20.4% |
| Setzer Farms, Inc. | $110,892 | $26,855 | -75.8% |
| John Bocko | $25,168 | $26,808 | 6.5% |
| Poliskiewicz Farms, Inc. | $60,723 | $25,151 | -58.6% |
| Bechdolt Orchards, Inc. | $0 | $23,782 | -- |
| Dale Koehler & Sons Farm, LLC | $81,046 | $21,755 | -73.2% |
| Red Edge Farm, LLC | $50,186 | $21,063 | -58% |
| Jason L. Koehler | $26,564 | $20,966 | -21.1% |
| Juniperdale Farms | $68,639 | $19,596 | -71.5% |
| Robert C. Oswald | $57,275 | $19,542 | -65.9% |
| Fehnel Farms, Inc. | $66,435 | $19,413 | -70.8% |
| Seiple Farms, LLC | $69,351 | $17,191 | -75.2% |
| Rinaldi Farms, LLC | $63,710 | $16,041 | -74.8% |
| Frank B. Miller | $40,322 | $14,203 | -64.8% |
| Edgar F. Lorah Jr. | $76,874 | $13,504 | -82.4% |
| Wedde Farms | $32,307 | $13,135 | -59.3% |
| Hess Farms | $34,623 | $12,076 | -65.1% |
| Wayne Dunbar | $38,298 | $11,801 | -69.2% |
| Gary Fehnel | $39,778 | $11,573 | -70.9% |
| Maple Hedge Farms | $33,579 | $10,115 | -69.9% |
| Anthony M. Rinaldi | $37,723 | $10,066 | -73.3% |
| Edward C Thaler | $115,579 | $9,873 | -91.5% |
| Joseph Mirro | $25,025 | $9,670 | -61.4% |
| Raub Farms Raub S Farm Market, LLC | $33,973 | $9,178 | -73% |
| Sean R. Kneebone | $26,227 | $9,172 | -65% |
| Dale Koller | $27,971 | $9,102 | -67.5% |
| Mark A. Antonis | $8,268 | $8,268 | 0% |
| Rudolph M. Klein | $15,202 | $7,686 | -49.4% |
| Yautz Brothers, LLC | $23,331 | $7,490 | -67.9% |
| Jacob Roy Klein | $15,504 | $7,356 | -52.6% |
| Daniel Lee Hunter | $0 | $6,604 | -- |
| Barry MacDougall | $19,580 | $6,361 | -67.5% |
| Valkies Registered Holsteins | $18,407 | $6,273 | -65.9% |
| John H Enderli | $13,811 | $6,064 | -56.1% |
| Wilbert D. Knitter Jr. | $11,957 | $5,684 | -52.5% |
| Daniel Ziegenfuss | $9,566 | $5,629 | -41.2% |
| Daniel Schlegel | $16,055 | $5,600 | -65.1% |
| Glenn O. Miller | $11,366 | $4,937 | -56.6% |
| Leroy Finken | $10,500 | $4,898 | -53.4% |
| Rich Roy Farms | $12,297 | $4,792 | -61% |
| William L. Hess | $9,420 | $4,334 | -54% |
| Mediterranean Farm, LLC | $0 | $3,961 | -- |
| Evon Johnson Fam B. Tr | $16,089 | $3,874 | -75.9% |
| Garry C. Hunsicker | $26,286 | $3,619 | -86.2% |
| Bret Defranco | $5,474 | $3,611 | -34% |
| Heath M. Zaleski | $5,913 | $3,512 | -40.6% |
| John J. Deysher | $6,292 | $3,271 | -48% |
| Aj Compagnola, LLC | $0 | $3,264 | -- |
| Landis Brothers | $5,643 | $3,213 | -43.1% |
| Janice Graver | $14,332 | $3,040 | -78.8% |
| Edward Bush Estate | $1,495 | $2,990 | 100% |
| Machael S Miller | $3,472 | $2,622 | -24.5% |
| Donald W. Knitter | $2,165 | $2,610 | 20.6% |
| Dorothy Yautz | $7,533 | $2,479 | -67.1% |
| Lonny E. Miller | $5,491 | $2,396 | -56.4% |
| Dennis R. Newhard | $5,868 | $2,330 | -60.3% |
| James E. Heimer | $4,083 | $2,245 | -45% |
| James D. Koch | $2,906 | $2,158 | -25.7% |
| Ryan Reeser | $4,096 | $2,142 | -47.7% |
| Mccollian Farms, LLC | $3,592 | $2,027 | -43.6% |
| John R. Brethour Jr. | $5,440 | $1,846 | -66.1% |
| Gulicks Fruit Farm, LLC | $20,419 | $1,818 | -91.1% |
| Four Brothers Tree Farm, LLC | $1,768 | $1,768 | 0% |
| Rodney H. Pursell | $1,759 | $1,759 | 0% |
| John Joseph Skraban JR | $1,705 | $1,705 | 0% |
| Merion C Miller | $2,634 | $1,545 | -41.3% |
| Ann Padula | $2,068 | $1,476 | -28.6% |
| Smith Farms | $4,736 | $1,413 | -70.2% |
| David E. Meixell | $2,025 | $1,217 | -39.9% |
| Jereme J Barkanic | $0 | $1,195 | -- |
| Klein Farms | $17,811 | $1,194 | -93.3% |
| Wade Traviss | $2,438 | $1,154 | -52.7% |
| Dohl Difebo | $5,066 | $1,096 | -78.4% |
| Jeffrey H. Keifer | $3,682 | $1,041 | -71.7% |
| Richard W. Wagner | $2,189 | $1,010 | -53.9% |
| Kerrs Windy Hill Farm, LLC | $3,848 | $962 | -75% |
| Ellen Stahl | $875 | $875 | 0% |
| James R. McDaniel | $2,547 | $715 | -71.9% |
| Ned Hower | $1,949 | $631 | -67.6% |
| Barbara J. Sanders | $1,281 | $630 | -50.8% |
| Leona M. Myles | $1,262 | $614 | -51.3% |
| George Milander | $2,114 | $569 | -73.1% |
| Jeffrey P. Kline | $468 | $468 | 0% |
| Tarea J Roach-Pritchett | $590 | $367 | -37.8% |
| Andrea L. Smith | $221 | $221 | 0% |
| Lola Candace Gulotta | $578 | $203 | -64.9% |
| Michael D. Frack | $202 | $202 | 0% |
| Zachary Lytwyn | $163 | $163 | 0% |
| Alex Lytwyn | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Tyler Lytwyn | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Jacqueline R. Miller | $0 | $148 | -- |
| Henry N Achenbach/Achenbach Farm Partnership | $0 | $126 | -- |
| Ruth A. McMaken | $1,000 | $58 | -94.2% |
| Leon R. Koplin | $15 | $15 | 0% |
| Capozzolo Bros Slate Company | $1,498 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald W. Woolverton Sr. | $2,090 | $0 | -100% |
| George C. Ott Jr. | $11,283 | $0 | -100% |
| Kiefer Family Partnership T/A Wil | $176,391 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth J. Faust | $29,484 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger C. H. Unangst | $33,328 | $0 | -100% |
| David Bennett | $63 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $39,138 | $0 | -100% |
| John P. Miller | $153 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary E Walton Estate | $1,884 | $0 | -100% |
| Scholl Orchards, LLC | $30,378 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Rapp | $8,421 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert L. Roff | $455 | $0 | -100% |
| Aj Compagnola, LLC | $3,029 | $0 | -100% |
| Allen K. Miller | $2,598 | $0 | -100% |
| Good Work Farm, LLC | $5,658 | $0 | -100% |
| Henry N Achenbach/Achenbach Farm | $13,274 | $0 | -100% |
| James R. Williams | $599 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold A. Silfies | $3,374 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,887,307 | $1,129,192 | -60.9% |
Alerts Sign-up